Preface:
The year is 2065 and Earth is hitting back with Dortju’s Daughter as the keenest Space Pilot, or Universal Loyal Officer. To try earn its place in the Galaxy.
The idea is to build ever expanding globes of armed space colonies, outposts and even spy sats outward from Ole Terra. Humanity was not about to be cornered again like they had been in the last invasion. But these bases, colonies and outposts were going to be skirmished by the Ancients and would need defending.
The Wizards and Witches have the usual to deal with as do the GO’ers and DO’ers.
Dortju was opting for there being no war more than his wain being involved in it.
Once again the sheer will of humanity must prevail.
Book One: Dortju and Earths Expansion
Chapter 1: Simon’s First Election
Chapter 2: Ceilidh Gets Her Wings
Chapter 3: Dortju and Carnegi
Chapter 4: SUST
Chapter 5: First Bases
Chapter 6: Telepathy
Chapter 7: Others Out There
Chapter 8: Amy Bring’s Home the Bacon
Chapter 9: Contact
Chapter 10: Dortju’s Council
Chapter 1: Jettro’s First Election
“One man, one vote.” – Basis of Democracy
It was generally considered among the people of the population Towers that an overall leader was needed for the Solar System as a whole and elections were being held in all 9 of them.
Humanity now lived predominately in the 9 population Towers situated around the world that all reach up miles into the sky and all had a tether that reached up to the massive shield complex that now protected Earth.
Humanity was expanding into the Solar system and a colony was now being constructed on Pluto. Many spy sats circle the sun of Sol much further out than Pluto and teleportation devices were making travel between nigh on instant.
“Dortju, how’s this gonnae go?”
“Chani, do you know one day I’m going to learn how to actually read the future just because you ask me to read it so much. Jettro will walk it.”
“That’s why I ask. That’s my women’s intuition if you will.”
“Which you want to double check against me as always.”
“Aye aye, shut up. How much longer?”
“Polls close in 8 hours Tower local time still but SUSTs (South US Tower) results will be first in. Asia and Australia will be the last. Carnegi, Italy, Africa and Egypt will all be within an hour of each other and Iran and India will follow shortly after.”
“Dortju I either get cheek from you or an age of mansplaining.” Chani knew more about time zones than Dortju.
“I love it how if a man explains something to a women it’s meant to be abusive but when it’s the other way round it’s called nagging and a womens job, as ‘you know what men are like’! I know what your like.”
“Shut up you male chauvinist pig!”
“You just made my point.”
“Whatever Dortju, humanity is about to be ruled over by an Anor with no ceiling on his time in office. Is that wise?”
“It is. And very short sighted of us. Perhaps an Anor will take a longer view of things and that may improve his ability to govern. I’m willing to see how it goes. Jettro’s a very reasonable person. He never sought so much power and for that reason I think it’s a worthy risk.”
“Makes sense. Well let’s hope he wins then.”
“He will.”
It was a landslide. The only Tower that overall voted against him was the SUST and even then only marginally. Carnegi was the obvious expected supporter and returned an 82% yes vote. The rest all hovered between 40-45% but with 9 candidates most of the others were lucky to get votes of 50% even in their own Towers most managed 38%-42% from their own Tower bar one. Jettro had the overall majority by 54% a clear landslide for a planetary election.
Dortju would now have considerably more resources for his Ministry of Preservation and he decided to establish an internal branch as well as an external one. He was going to start making and burying cloned fertilized eggs in secret. He want another last line of defense after the shield. Humanity had fought for it’s right to exist twice in the last 3 decades and other attempts would be forthcoming.
He was happy for Jettro and wished him well and he’d have Dortju’s full support. While he did his job well. But other plans had to made, that no one knew about. In case the curtain fell again.
The current mission of the Ministry of Preservation was to make the Earth easier to defend and even the who system of Sol. That Dortju had another quiet agenda was of zero import to those who didn’t know. He’d keep in in house.
Publicly the Moon had 3 Ion cannons with 4 in production. Mars had 2 and 3 in production and there was 4 on Ole Terra that defied belief already up and ready to fire. All Ion cannons on the outer celestial bodies operated at 1 gigajoule. This was estimated to stop any space craft with enough continuous shot however the 4 on Earth could expend a beam at 8 gigajoules and after the atmosphere absorbed nearly 1 gigajoule the remaining 7 would evaporate anything in it’s path within seconds.
This was fine for hard defense but what was better was a smart cheap fabian offensive deterrent, which was Dortjus overall plan. But for that he needed information on the Ancients. Scout ships was one thing as was using teleportation to transmit messages but nothing was as instantaneous as thought. He had to crack telepathy.
“Jettro, I can but congratulate you, really. Well done bud, well done!” Dortju was happy to see his friend after the inauguration and celebrations, why it had to be celebrated was a mystery to Dortju but he’d got some peace and quiet to do some research.
“Dortju, thanks. I tell you I honestly, never thought I would end up here.”
“You did is the point. A word from you superiors – don’t fuck it up.”
“Em I’ve just been elected ruler of the universe as we know it son.”
“I know. Heads of state get removed if they it fuck up. By me.”
It sobered the mood a bit and Jettro took it on the chin, got the point and both let the levity return to the event. Dortju was saying well done and reminding Jettro the authority was not for his benefit alone at all.
“Hear ya, let’s make a night of it!”
“Hell yeah Jet it’s not everyday your pals given the known universe to rule.”
They enjoyed some festivities.
After the inevitable headaches got cured with some strong coffee the next morning everyone got back to business.
Jettro’s first council was composed of a Minister representative from each Tower and Dortju as the Minister for Preservation and Simon, the first immortal, as the Minister of Arbitration. Simon still held a flawless reputation the world over as being a fair arbitrator. It gave Carnegi 3 votes on the council while the rest of the Towers had one. Humanities known universe was now being ruled by a council in Dunfermline, Scotland.
“Ladies and Gentleman welcome to the first Solar council since the invasion and the New Calendar. I would like to ask one and all to pay attention to a brief Dortju has for us regarding future developments.”
“Thank you Master Jettro. Council, we’ve survived two attacks. We fared better in this last one but it’s no way for a people to live, cowering from attack. As you all know our defenses are improving but as Sun Tzu points out military might is a factor in state craft and we have to be able to bring the Ancients to the negotiating table and we can’t do that by cowering at home waiting to be attacked. We are therefore devising a means to hit them back in case they hit us. How we’re doing this will be revealed as is operationally viable.”
“Are you saying we can’t be trusted?” From the minister of the SUST
“I’m saying operational security is just that is all Minister.” Dortju wasn’t about to be bullied by anyone.
“I demand we’re informed of the details.” SUST
“Demand all you fucking want. Secrets have a habit of being shared, that’s the end of it.”
Jettro stepped in “Please gentlemen, let’s be constructive. SUST you have a point and a basic outline will be explained to you now but final details will only be released to military personnel as is strategically viable. That is sensible. Dortju please bring the Ministers up to date on a brief outline at least.”
“Of course Master Jettro. We are widening our defense net in a nut shell. So far we have spy sats out beyond Pluto which we are calling orbit 11. For defense purposes we have included each planet and the asteroid belt and the spy sats beyond Pluto as orbits. We have orbits 3,4, 5 and 7 armed with Ion cannons. That is the ones we have here on Earth and the Moon, Mars, the asteroid belt and some on Titan as it orbits Saturn. Our basic plan is to increase the defense capabilities of each orbit and make more orbits expanding outwards. We perhaps can’t build on Jupiter but we could put a space station in her orbit with an Ion cannon easily enough. We have more than a few options to consider.”
Dortju gave the floor to Jettro.
“Thank you, Dortju. As you all know we are all engaged in a planetary wide cooperative to strengthen the shield. Each Tower has it’s role and we are doing well. I would like to propose this council pass a resolution making planetary safety it’s prime concern and we empower Carnegi Wizard Council with Solar defense.”
It was a bit like suggesting making a NASA school that believed in magic the Ministry of Defense but then Simon was immortal and telepathy might be the most important strategic defense weapon ever developed and Carnegi were on the home stretch there. And no one could question how effective the GOer fighters and DOer rescuers had been during the last invasion nevermind the effectiveness of the suicidal Red Force. All commanded by Dortju at Carnegi’s CIC (Combat Information Center).
The resolution after a little deliberation was passed unanimously.
The Council came to an end. Dortju headed back to the Foundation. Chani greeted him.
“How’d it go?”
“Well enough. We’ve the green light to get shit going and I’m having a steak, some beer, a bath and then bed and then tomorrow we are going to get into top gear already. I’m being taken seriously at long last.”
Chani sensed a change in him. Sounded like he just bested someone or something.
SUST had pissed him off. He had meant to put him in his place and wasn’t leaving it there either.
“We’re going to make the Ancients wish they’d never picked this fight Chani.” no mention of pet or darling this time – he was pissed.
She put the kettle on while he took a steak out the fridge and a beer.
Chapter 2: Ceilidh Gets Her Wings
“Per Ardua ad Astra” – RAF Motto, ‘We struggle, to the stars.’
“How’s Ceilidh?” She handed him a bacon and egg roll.
“Chani let me start the day for christ sake before you give me a problem. She’s 17 thus, not talking. Ok.”
“Sorry was just trying to make some chat ya grumpy git.”
“I know I know, just let me get this coffee down me.”
Dortju certainly was no longer the chirpy early riser he used to be fresh out of Wizard school. He had been run a bit ragged by events of the last two decades. She’d let the roll and coffee do their work and take the teeth out of his mood.
“Chani that was delish! Right aye Ceilidh, that’s her near her flight school graduation now. Wish she’d not gone for the conflict option but can hardly blame her with my own antics of course. Nevermind her Mums. Anyway trying to keep her out of this furor is turning out to be impossible.”
“Dortju, you’ve done tons. Let’s keep on and not be down hearted.”
“Chani – I have never been down hearted. Upset maybe, but?…”
“We persevere!”
“Exactly. What’s on the books for today?”
“You have a meeting coming up with the Solar Defense committee to discuss how it went with the council and enough questioning dispatches from the Foundation to keep you at your desk for 2 hours anyway.”
“We’ll do the dispatches en route, I need to see Amy today to.”
“Okkkaayyy. So that’s the plan then. Was there any sense in asking me Dort?”
“Whatever.”
“Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it – Mr. your a female and double checked your opinions with me arrogant man stuff.”
“Whatever.”
“Hehe.”
She’d made her point. She had as much as a right to nag as he did to mansplain. It was a two way street between the sexes. They got on with the day. Dortju wanted to have some techie chat in the research lab of his foundation. Chani wanted the office work caught up on and they as always jibed well together.
“Amy, how ya doing?! You look marvelous. I see south America did your tan proud.”
“Hiya Dortju. Em aype, how can you tell. Chani, been ages.”
Hugs out the way. “Dortju what trouble you got for me this time?”
“Am I that bad. I just wanted to ask you some techie questions about shield disruption. Where’s the kettle?”
“What no wanting me to wipe out another species this time? Your getting boring in your old age!”
“I know sorry to disappoint. I’ll check over here in the kitchen. Tea/coffee anyone?”
He got a stereo version of “just coffee.” from them both.
“Amy I need a shield cutter. It’s yet to be invented, by us. The Ancients used it against our shields and got through 6 out of 9. They’ll have better shields. How do we beat them?”
“Take me there, give me a lab, unlimited resources and time and I’ll let you know in a week.”
“Yeah defended by a fleet that doesn’t exist yet. Amy they’re not going to let us examine their shield defenses.”
“I know that, but you asked what I needed. That’s what I’d need.”
“Which wont happen anytime soon. Ok fair enough. What our 2nd best guess at this?”
“Dortju, shields are either force fields or solid obstacles ok. For Force fields you just need a polarizing energy for a solid shield you just need explosives it’s hardly complicated. I just need to know the wavelength of the force field or the thickness and composition of the physical barrier and I’ll tell you what frequency to use as a polar energy force or how much TNT you need to get through any physical or force field barrier and it’s a foregone conclusion. In the end a shield will only ever be a deterrent.”
Dortju and Chani both raised an eyebrow at that life lesson. Amy could dole them out even when she never meant to.
“Amy as always you put it very well.”
“Aye and your still a dense for taking this long to cotton on!”
“Fair play cherrup. Fair play. What do I need to do to get the wavelength of this field? It wont be physical.”
“Probe it, duh.”
Dortju knew that was coming.
“Once again impressed with how succinct you can be Amy.”
“Your welcome. Bet they give you the task, fucked if I’m going like.”
“Amy once again, succinctly put pet. Right back to the drawing board for us then.”
Chani piped up, “Nah we’re gonnae end up questing over this I can already tell.”
Chani and Amy shared looks like as if they knew something Dortju didn’t. Dortju wasn’t daft enough to not pay attention. He had another trip to make. Not yet.
“Ladies, some very good points well made there. A bit for me to mull over shall we say. Amy you looking out for the fam?”
“Acht my daughter, Abby is 3 and a loveable nightmare. Hubby looks after me, we’re happy Dort, thanks for asking. How’s Ceilidh.”
“Acht the usual pet, she’s 17, living nightmare to get on with. You’ve that to look forward to.”
“I know. Easier for a Mum though hehe.”
Didn’t Dortju know it.
“Amy as ever, a cracking help. Can I ask you to examine different means of getting through different force fields and yes I will get to work on scouting it to get the frequency.”
“Dortju mind it could be a field of variable frequency easily.”
“O for fucks sake. Right ok. Good heads up. Amy you’ve given me a pile to think over but that’s why I came to see you.”
“Your welcome. I think.”
“Yep. It was a genuine thanks. Needed you to tell me where I was coming up short is all.”
They said their byes.
“Dortju I’m worried you’ll go off on this mission half cocked?”
They were in a pod on their way back to Carnegi main. Amy’s lab sat on it’s outskirts since she’d stared playing with rocket fuel. It tended to explode which was it’s job so for Carnegi’s safety she’d been removed to a safe distance as Amy’s version of trial and error wasn’t always the safest.
“Chani I am telling you this and only you. I am not going to go and just infiltrate their screen security. I’m going to try and connect with their fifth column. Every society has one.”
“That’s hardly a small ask Dortju.”
“Nah it is, they just need a little hope is all.”
“You’ll need a better Tug.”
“Going to design a new speeder for this one. I’ll need help making it and I am hardly leaving anytime soon. We have to not only be able to survey them but also contact subversive elements in their society. It won’t be easy to make contact but once I have they’ll lap it up. They need the right to feel to come back to them. It’ll be in their bones.”
“They are lifeless aren’t they. Dortju I wish you never had to go.”
“Who’s on the other side of the equals sign here Chani?”
“Ceilidh.”
“Exactly.”
Dortju needed an undetectable space speeder. It would not need to have to pull capabilities of the Tug but it did need the speed and it had to be somehow be cloakable or invisible. He had to be able to park up a ‘base’ within ‘striking’ distance of the Ancients main Capital of T.G Ack and yet not be discovered and then a lander he could use to land in, that also would not be able to be detected. He knew this was going to perhaps be his most dicey mission yet.
It was homework time again. Ceilidh was graduating later and he wanted to look his best. He’d attend in his full regalia as expected and show her how proud he actually really was of her. He just carried a weight that he’d not made fighting wars to be an unneeded vocation while she was a youngster. He’d sure as hell tried and then the Ancients had to stick their feet in.
Someone may not respect a soldiers mission but that should not detract you from respect to that soldiers accomplishments and bravery. Wars make not one great, but being brave in the face of adversity and surviving does.
The hall was pack to brimming. Dortju was in one of the front with other parents and/or dignitaries. This was the GOerX squad graduation. Of all the GOers, nearly 10,000 now, only 1 in 40 was selected to be in the X squad and Ceilidh had made it. Only 22 cadets were graduating as X squad members out of nearly 800.
1 in 5 GOers retired to live happily ever after. 1 in 12 of the X squad did. None of the Red Force suicide squad did. The enemies Ion cannons never asked if the pilot was in the Red Force and wanted to die or not. They just shot at you!
As Dortju watched his Daughter walk down the aisle surrounded by the honour guard she rightly held her head high and Dortju wanted even more than ever to get on with his mission as he looked on with pride.
The honour guard split to the left and right and took up their places on either side of the hall. Jettro as Commander in Chief was presenting the award of pilot to each of them. Tomorrow they would all have their first solo flight in the new XW2++ fighter that had been developed. It had a brain pan connection for super fast agility. More powerful Ion cannos. Could now carry missiles with a nuke attached and was nigh on stealthy to all but magno detectors. Radars were easier to fool than magnets. Something was either metal or not. But the XW2++ was by far the best space fighter humanity had made to date.
A new development being ironed out on the craft to was in essence giving it a mind of it’s own – under the pilots control. It had sparked a very philosophical debate in council over the ethics of such a device and in the end it had been agreed that so long as the craft could not function without a pilot on board then it could have all the AI tech while being operated that it could use to improve things. So long as it was inert while not manned.
So when you plugged in, your pal woke up. Course you had to make friends with it first. The plan was to team a pilot up with one craft for life. And they’d end up being partners that would in essence operate as one.
Ceilidh was being handed her wings and grad cert by Jettro. Dortju let a tear drop off his cheek as did his daughter. She’d not only graduated as a member of the X squad but as it’s leader so as well as her wings she was also immediately taking on the roll of Wing Leader of the 22 full graduating squadron. They’d all be a family forever. It was going to be one close knit outfit and if anyone could swing it Dortju knew Ceilidh could.
It had been found the best way to make a formidable Fighter Force was to make them a family. Since the brain pan connection they could in a way dance around each other in the way a big family can in a small kitchen. They just knew where the other would be and what they would be doing.
A team has a tendency to know what the other team members are doing and thinking and coordinates thereby and therewith and that is the definition of a team. Ceilidh had graduated as it’s leader. Dortju could only feel the pride. And sense of urgency. GOers of the X squad rarely retired.
He left mid ceremony. She still wasn’t talking to him, some daft politics with his ex. That hadn’t changed with the invention of telepathy, immortality, inter-stellar space flight and teleportation. A women scorned was still a scorned women.
Chapter 3: Dortju and Carnegi
“You can take the trash out of the trailer park but not the trailer park out of the trash.” – Ole Terra Proverb
The design of the Carnegi Tower had turned out to be similar to that of Egypt’s in that it’s base sprawled over the landscape with an Eiffel Tower type frame built under it stretched over 100 miles across at the bottom. Egypt’s stretched over what was Cairo and pyramids. Carnegi Stretched over the Firth of Forth valley covering Edinburgh, Livingstone and Dunfermline.
The three bridges that used to be used for transport now held hydro power generators in the Forth river, since the invention of anti-gravity engines bridges had become a bit redundant to purpose in a lot of ways. A train was still a train and ran on tracks. Anti gravity technology wasn’t completely efficient yet. So the first bridge to be built over the Forth was the last to be used, as a bridge.
Dortju was in his house in South Queensferry with a view looking off towards the rail bridge. He was meeting with the Council later in the day and was wound up. He took solace in the sunrise. It was more than beautiful this morning. Sometimes it just rained and dully got brighter. This morning the sun had burst into the sky in a deep fiery pink, red and purple that had scorched the sky for nearly 20 mins before it got on with it’s job. Dortju could see the Tower rise above. Off into the stars that were still just visible as the sun made itself noticed. The tether made a shining silver slither off into the morning night sky.
He went to get fed, watered and ready for council.
“I’d like to bring this meeting to order.” Jettro got the ball rolling.
C’mon, C’mon was where Dortju’s mind went during these bits.
“This is the council of Apr ’68 in Carnegi Tower of Scotland. We have in attendance all Ministers including Master Dortju the Minister of Preservation. Master Dortju would you care to report on recent events.”
Already!
“I need to go and visit the Ancients and probe their shield. I need to devise a stealth space speeder to make this possible and it’s not going to happen any time soon. But that’s the next step as well as improving our defenses.”
“As ever Dortju you put it concisely. I think this should all be in order if we can just check a few details.” Jettro as ever kept a steady helm in council.
“What’s the contingency plan?” this was from the SUST Minister.
“I don’t plan to fail.”
“But what if you do?”
“Then you make the fucking contingency plan. I’ll be dead. Don’t ask me to plan for shit once I’m dead. That’s moronic. I won’t be here. Ask someone who will be to.”
“Dortju please calm down the Minister is asking a simple question.” Jettro
“Well then one of yous can answer that simple question then. Thanks. I’m no going to be asked about affairs after I am gone. That’s for the living.”
“Dortju, your being a bit dramatic.” Jettro trying to play for peace.
“Jettro, if this doesn’t work then another needs to do another solution for the rest of time and I won’t be part of that if I fail. Now they’re idea will be the best they can come up depending on their own resources and competence level. I’m not going to be asked here and now to guess at that situation, that person and that event. C’mon I still don’t have a crystal ball and if I fail on this mission then why ask me about the back up. I wont be here! I’ll be in never never land. Unless I choose to come back. So don’t ask me, ask my deputy, Chani. She’s here. I’m being pragmatic here not dramatic.”
“Ok, Chani do you have a contingency plan?” Jettro.
“Sure, Dortju is not to fail.”
All eyes looked at the minister of SUST who found he had nothing to say in reply.
“Dortju what exactly is involved with this mission?” Jettro.
“We need a take on their defense shield to get a reading on it and make a weapon to disable it. We don’t have to actually cause them any harm, just show them that we have the capability or the technology to perhaps make it so. It’s a show of strength that is maybe a gimmick but remember they can work as much in war as they can in the games of poker, chess and seduction.”
“Ok, thank you Dortju. I think I see your point. So we need only to know we have the ability to make some dent into their shield and this will make them sue for peace.” Jettro bringing it back to Earth again.
“In a nutshell yes. Whether it pans out that way or not is dependent upon a few factors. Including whether my next mission is successful or not.”
“Dortju I have full confidence we can count on you to pull this off. Is that the only parameters of this mission?” The Minister for India, Dr. Padwan asked.
“The main idea is to prob their defenses and scout means of attack.” Dortju thought he’d appropriately left out and included meeting with the 5th column with that reply.
“I see. Thank you.” India
“Dortju have you got a rough time scale for this mission?”
“The last attack was 12 years after their first. They retreated again last Oct. I suspect we have perhaps a decade before, and it’s an if, they attack again. It’s my job to try and ensure they don’t. I aim to have the speeder ready and the mission accomplished within 5 years. I need only approval from the council for the project.”
“We would like details of the speeders design and capabilities.” SUST
“Jettro, muzzle that cunt before I kick off!”
As 3 men in the council chamber stood and confronted each other one thing was clear. Dortju had had enough of SUST.
Jettro: “Gentlemen we are in council. That is all I will remind you of.”
SUST: “We need more details.”
Dortju: “You need more fucking sense!”
Jettro: “Gentlemen we are in council. That is alI I will remind you of.”
SUST: “Whatever.”
Dortju: …
Left. Sun Tzu’s ‘avoid conflict if you can’ saved SUSTs life there and then.
Dortju left and went back to work. But not without taking notice. The Minister for the SUST Tower was against his success. He was obviously gunning for all humanity and SUST could see that and yet… SUST had just earned himself an armed Dortju visit.
Council was one thing. Real life was the other.
“Chani I want to know 2 things. I’m working to defend Earth and Humanity and the SUST Minister is trying to apply the brakes for some reason. How and why is what I need to know. Soon!”
“Gotcha. On it.”
“This guys an idiot and I dare to think what’s at the back of it. Keep me up to speed I really can’t be dealing with this right now but if needs must, then… I will fucking deal with it.”
Chani got on with what she could find out about SUST and Dortju went to work on his speedster design. It’d have to be big. It needed to be cloaked somehow to. Either camouflage or some form of cloaking and he did have to consider magno detectors. He kept trying but he could just not think of a way to make it metallic free. It needed metal. Plastic and even stone just could not be molded to design – in any way he could come up with. Well plastic was as easy to mold into anything as much as it could just melt to. The temps in the engine were just not survivable for plastics.
In theory magno detectors could detect metal light years away and Dortju wondered how he’d get round this one. Amy had given him a heads up.
If polarizing energy on a shield could nullify it then why couldn’t polarizing a magno field searcher be fooled in much the same way? He’d have to send a vibration through his ship though that would make his metal not behave like metal. Thus perhaps avoid any magno detectors and perhaps ruin it’s ability to function as metal in a finely tuned and engineered engine… Wavelength stuff again. Life emotion or protecting metals from enemy ray shields. Wavelengths. Tesla and Einstein also came to those same conclusions. It wasn’t news. But it was a bitch to deal with. One thing was for sure a man with enough will could cause way more effect than any Ion cannon that ever had been or could be invented. Men could motivate armies. Ion cannons needed an army to be motivated.
Once again back to the drawing board and as Amy had also made clear, the Anceints screen might have a variable frequency. So he might have to man the shield diverter while on this mission. Things were getting more complicated than simpler. He wondered if he wasn’t confronting something.
18 hours later he had it. He’d not made it more complicated but he did have to work out how to plasticize the metal, cover the craft with absorbo paint and take a co-pilot. He grabbed a beer and got a couple of hours kip before lunch.
In the late morning he got Chani and Abby on a group chat on the pad.
“Guys, need y’all for a day or two. ‘Fraid it’s a drop what your doing and come hither do. Need to get this speeder design underway and aye the US south are also giving me a headache. Need yir back up fir ‘is all’ sorry it’s extremis stuff.”
“Be there in 5.” Chani
“See ya in 8 minutes Dort.” Abby
Dortju put the kettle on and started a late breakfast, with strong coffee.
Dortju was going to get a safe harbour to have a family.
Or else. His daughter was not going to be expected to drop bombs or be shot at with Ancients Ion cannons without him doing something about it. And she was still giving him the cold shoulder.
“Gals, sit down, shut up, tea, coffee and coco are all there with some buttered wafflles and toast. We got some work to do in more than one department.”
Chapter 4: SUST
“A rebel is treasonous until they win and then they are not a treasonous rebel but victorious. One man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.” – Dortju
“Chani, Abby, you both ready for a mission that might include danger.”
“Get to fuck Dort. C’mon man.” Abby
“You did not need to ask,” Chani.
“Let’s do this. Abby get me options to take out the Minister, making those plans will chill yir beans mode for a week or two.”
“Days. If that, on it.”
“Chani I need more information. Whats this place like. I need you on the ground yesterday and reachable, sorry but it’s 24/7 call out thing, I need to be able to get you.” What is this SUST minister up to?! What on Earth could a senior minister of a religion in the south US get up to that had to be hidden so much. He wondered. He’d heard a tale or two. Time would Tell.
Chani and Abby were primed, so was Dortju. SUST had picked a fight with the wrong man.
Chani was primed to scout. Abby was sharpening her knives and Dortju was paying attention, with a flight to SUST booked. Well he’d told Jettro to have a cesna at his disposal and had got it.
Chani was about to have a spot as a 2nd on a real mission. With death being involved. When he’d attacked the 3 gang leaders in Sudan he’s had Chani wait outside. She had never witnesses him doing the cut. She’d heard the sound. Not seen the deed. Dortju wanted to keep it that way but was in a spot himself. Chani might have to see the ugly.
The flights were booked anyway. Shit was about to go down.
Chani left to do the recci. Dortju and Abby followed a week later.
All 3 returned 48 hours later.
“Dortju we’re having trouble backing this.” Jettro said in regards to the untimely death of the SUST minister.
“Ok. Trouble over it.”
“Dortju, don’t be dense. Shed some light on this.”
“This world is better off without some. Now it’s better. I want to go back to work, not dedicate any more of my time to a creep like him.”
“Dortju, just make it make sense to us will you.”
“He harmed kids.”
“Did you gather any evidence of this?”
Dortju’s look informed Jettro the discussion was closed no matter who chair’d this council.
“Dortju, we can’t have you taking out heads of state without good cause.”
“Jettro 20 year ago I slit the throats of three African militant gang leaders to protect their people and the CID of then caught me with a smoking gun and never batted an eye lid. The camp then was saved by my actions. In this instance SUST has been saved by my actions. Why do I have to answer for it. It was right.”
“Dortju, just make it make sense.”
“He was fucking harming kids.”
Dortju walked out.
The south US and Bapist church had always been a bit loose on the age of consent laws and Dortju was in no mood to explain himself to council anymore. They could bring charges against him and he’d launch his foundation at them in protest.
Jettro had more sense.
Dortju had more to do.
It had been a quick decision. Chani had pretty much signed the deal by the time he and Abby had arrived so it was then just the how and the where to be worked out. In a bathroom with Dortju playing the bathroom attendant with Chani and Abby in the corridor in case his security staff kicked off.
The bathroom ‘attendant’ left a min later. The SUST minister left an hour later. In a bag.
Chani was sat next to him on the flight home. Abby had stayed to catch up with some fam in SUST. Dortju had advised against it and Abby had just gone on to be Abby.
“Dortju can I ask you a small favour?”
“What pet?”
“Tell me if I am ever getting close to being on your shit list.”
“Aww pet. Your for the good of all. Your a billion miles away.”
She actually let out a sly small sigh of relief and thought Dortju was unaware.
Dortju knew in himself Chani couldn’t be safer than by his side. She was just for the good. She was caring. Looked out for people. If anything he wanted to keep her out of trouble not be trouble for her. She’d just seen him in gruseome action and her take on it was to be expected, if unwarranted.
“Chani.”
“What?”
“I can’t put my tendency to violence towards my inner circle. To be clear, if your family, friend or ally then I can have no anger/violence towards you. Only outwith that circle. Do you understand?”
“I do, thanks. That wasn’t nice.”
“It wasn’t. Let’s hope it’s the last.”
“Chani let’s worry more about making that the last than it. Do you get me?”
“I do, let’s solve violence not do it. Heard you say it a million times.”
“Unless it’s needed to protect our…?”
Dortju had his point to make to.
“Young.”
“You’ve heard me say that more than once to. Rest easy pet. Grab some sleep on the way home. I’ve got some work for you when we get in.”
Hardly a surprise there. Chani slept. And calmed. Being in Dortjus shadow was not a quiet spot. But he had a demeanor about him that led itself to be trusted. She did. After 2 decades as his padawan and then a Master herself and his PA, she knew the nature of this beast and she was glad she was on his side.
The Ancients were going to be getting their boat rocked soon.
Dortju ignored her attempts at snoring. Half a gin and tonic and that was her, when flying. Also emotional tiresomeness to.
He checked the films available.
But, the nightmares would ensue…
Dortju would now have to deal with his own sleep again.
His job wasn’t easy but he didn’t shrink from it.
Chani would be fine. She asked for some assurance after a scare.
And got it.
He had bigger fish to fry. He needed to invade the Ancients. Single handedly.
He just had to find a way into the Anceints renegade population.
Was all, apparently.
Chapter 5: First Bases
“Common sense is not a talent. It’s a curse for those who have it and put up with those who do not.” – Dortju’s Mentor
When they got in Dortju gave a quiet and discreet briefing to Chani that took nearly 4 hours. He wanted safehaven bolt holes in the asteriod belt and Chani to tell him about how feasible it would be to work for everyone.
“Hardly a small dose of homework, Dortju.”
“I’ve only given it to my best.”
“Thanks Dortju. I’ll get on it.”
“Thanks, your a gem.”
It was Oct on Ole Terra and 4am with a purple sunrise invading his bedroom window which he just didn’t mind.
Dortju hit the on button for the net and immediately got a Star Wars stream. He loved the golden oldies. And got on about his day. Council was more or less happy and he had some graft to get through.
He did his morning thing and then picked up the memo he’d got from Amy who was heading up research.
“Log jammed on energy, might need your input.”
Amy wouldn’t pass anything to him unless she had to. He grabbed his triple expresso turned down the vol on his net pad, rubbed his forehead, took a good gulp of coffee and sat down with dance tunes playing on the telly now to get his head round Amy’s report. She raved in her spare time and Dortju ‘tuned’ into her better when in her mode of hyper. He got the point.
“It’s the Asteroid belt and beyond. The power from the Sun is just not strong enough to produce enough energy to make our Ions cannons reach the outpoint there are capable of and we need.”
Dortju loved Amy but she really did get too much into the problem. They’ll always say you can’t see the forest for the tree’s.
“Use mirrors pet.”
It worked. Amy was able to 13% increase solar input into the solar panels with using only a reflective foil. Made the Ion cannon able to reach full power. It wasn’t quite a, the day had been saved moment but no one was complaining either. An idea was one thing. How to do it was the other.
“Dortju your a genius!” Amy
“Nah, your just thick as pig shit.”
“Which makes you as thick as worm shit cause you come to me for advice.”
“Em, touche young lady and fucking congrats. This just saved humanity.”
Amy managed to not explode herself. But she wanted to in a fun way. “I do try.”
“And do exceedingly well. Your precious, to all of us.” Amy felt special in a special way, she loved helping. Dortju had just given her a pat on the shoulder that she would not forget in a hurry.
After weeks of work at home in research, trying all sorts of narcotics to make her more cognitive she had nailed it. The Solar Reflective Orbit and it was brilliant. In it’s simplicity and it’s inherent benefits.
“22²²m² watts is all we need.”
“Nice round number Amy, massive like, but I gotcha. We’re gonnae spend a year making it so.”
“It’ll be enough. I think.”
I know. Good job pet!”
“You could have just saved humanity with this discovery Amy. Own that.”
“Thank you Dortju, I do try.”
So for his next trick Dortju had to get a few 1000 miles² of reflective foil orbiting around the Sun in the asteroid belt at very select locations. All in a days work as they say. He had resources and help. Still a bit to look out for though it was hardly going to be a walk in the park. Tonnage was involved so the Tug would be to.
He called council for the next am with his senior staff.
Set himself into an evening to be prepared. Tinsel was an obvious starting place but he’d have something better than that for council.
He put the bath on, got a hot choco and his net pad and pipe and got to it.
An hour in and he’d read the Wiki page on aluminized film called Mylar which had been designed to make effective sails for space travel which had been ditched obviously once the inertialess drive was invented. But all the how to tech would still be there. It seemed fit to purpose to Dortju.
Amy no doubt would more or less lead the science council and would more than likely put him in his place somehow about Mylar.
“So as Dortju an myself are both in agreement that we should try this design using Mylar then I think this council should approve a feasibility and at least get Mylar into mass production now. Or lay the ground work anyway. It’s not a problem that is likely to go away, we need this extra energy which we just cannot yet deliver from a battery despite improvements.”
Dortju let Amy wind up the council and was happy for once to not have been put in his place.
Chapter 6: Telepathy
“Religion: We know enough to dictate the future. Science: That’s never been proved to be true.” – Dortju
Out the frying pan and into the fire. Amy had how to make the Ion cannons work beyond the asteriod belt under control enough. Next was Simon and the Magic school.
“Simon please tell you’ve cracked telepathy.”
“We’ve cracked telepathy.”
“Really.”
“Yeah the moment we’re born. You know this. It’s the accuracy of it we’re toiling with.”
Right, Dortju let his heart rate return to normal. Simon was just being his pedantic self.
“Ok how far away are we from being able to have telepathic bases situated in the Ancients system?”
“Same as we were yesterday and the also the day we were born Dortju.”
“Simon C’mon, how’s progress!”
“Twins are the best so far, that’s how far we’ve gotten still but we’ve know/suspected that since forever and not really been able to push it on much. LSD does increase accuracy but the content tends to be spoiled as the participants are… well fucked out their faces.”
No further forward then.
“I thought we’d agreed to stop doing those experiments.”
“Yeah and then you wanted telepathic scouts in the Ancients system, so it was re-instituted. Cause effect thing Dortju. Y’know.”
Simon was right to. You couldn’t be a minister and make some broad call for over 10,000 people to contend with something like telepathy without someone saying ‘hey why don’t we…’ and come up with some idea that involved the use of narcotics.
Dortju fixed the coffee for them and grabbed a seat. “Simon, you’ve pretty much been responsible for a sense of fair justice in our known universe, can you really not make head nor tail of this?”
“One’s easy, the other ain’t.”
“What’s the bugs?”
“It’s just accuracy. We CAN do telepathy but it’s all emotions, intutition, feelings etc. We can not even begin to guess at number nevermind complicated numbers such as interstellar space coordinates.”
“Simon I hear ya. We’re in the wrong ball park. It’s not feelings/emotion we need it’s concepts… Me and Chani do it when on missions together we can guess each other easily.”
“Dortju your on about known responses there not telepathy.”
“I’m on about bringing them together Simon.”
“Your suggesting we pair people for life for this?”
“If the shoe fits! If I send Chani to spy on the Ancients and she was able to message me somehow. Trust me i’d get the point.”
“Dortju I see where your going with this. But…”
“Nothing! A though is an idea without any numerical value, colour, feeling/emotion, time or spacial measurements. It’s one complete undefined idea. But it’s a complete idea. Perhaps not translated into a language but the whole idea is in the idea.”
“We’ve been playing with toys then your saying.”
“Basically.”
“Dortju you are a task master but not wrong with this. Thankfully we do have some progress on that front.”
“Do tell.”
“One set of twins more than finish each others sentenaces. I have them doing quantum maths sums that are outwith their mental capability and see if they both come up with the same right/wrong answer or not.”
“Interesting. Male or female?”
“Male.”
“I wonder, any signs of them being Anors or Mentat capable.”
“They’re not even teenagers anymore, Mentat training has been introduced but they’ll never be Mentats in the true sense. Being Anor has been tested and they come close but fail. However they have come up with the same right/wrong answers 100% of the time.”
“Right even when your wrong. I like it Simon.”
“One thing you’ve just put me onto though. We might not need to actually send a thought through any space… at all. If people just knew what was expected and what the other would do about another person then we could effectively have telepathy. Or a kindergarten version of it anyway.”
“Time specific messages?”
“C’mon Simon your meant to be the specialist coming up with solutions… could we develop this?”
“If we had twins work in the same combat training system their whole developing life and sent them into war together I daresay we would have a nigh on telepathic team. They’ll still not be able to tell the other how many tanks are coming only that there is danger though.”
“Ok but is it an avenue worth exploring?”
“Obviously. I’ll factor that in. Giving Mentat training also, especially to Anors… Dortju I’m tracking.”
“Now we’re talking.”
Dortju had to go see Amy at the research lab. He jumped in a pod and headed out. “Dort’s what’s the haps?”
“You tell me, shield killing development?”
“So much for a catch up, em right. We’re talking a ray gun basically to null the shield.”
“Progressing pet?”
“Got the groundwork done.”
“Knew I could count on your end of it.”
“Dortju” Amy lite up in a cute way.
Here we go thought Dortju.
“Wee fav to ask, fancy taking Benji off my hands?”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing, honestly, it’s just with all these experiments I’m doing he can’t run free, for his own good. You’ve your garden, he already loves you. Also the refugee camps in Africa, he’d love them.”
“Amy I’m hearing ya. Not a bad idea at that. I’ll say aye and add if he misbehaves at Carnegi Jettro may well insist he come back to you.”
“Aww Dortju, please. Just see how it goes. I think he’ll just get on with everyone over there.”
“Aye once I persuade them to stop being snobs to him lol.”
“You do ken they’ll just love the sop in the end?”
“All that is gold does not glitter… name it.”
“Fuck ya, em gimmee a minute, nut , on the tip of my tongue…. Aaragorn! Lord of the Rings. Ranger and King of Gondor to be… All that is gold does not glitter…”
“Nick of time Amz, nick of time… rest of it?”
“Not a chance Dort. This is so you. I know what’s coming!”
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes, a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring,
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be King.” – Tolkien.
“Dortju it’s beautiful in itself and how you tell it does it credit, reminds me of you and I can tell you can’t recite it without emoting it.”
“Acht Amy you see right through me as always. Gonnae love ya and leave ya be. Keep on and good for you on what not so far.”
“I could say the same to you x 2 old git.”
“Bugger off skally wag.”
“My digs.”
“I’ll be off, expecting to here about Benjii in the next day or two.”
“Aww dortju he’s going to teach you so much.”
“It’ll be the blind leading the blind.”
“Aken.” He blew her a kiss and got a smile.
“See you Tues at 2.”
“Serioulsy Dortju it’s more likely to be Wed or Thurs.”
“Sound pet, see you then.”
1:48 at Dortju’s on Tues. “C’mon in Amy. Hiya!! BENJII.” Dortju was assualted with affection. Amy let him off the lead so he did the run around the house thing, as usual dodged everything of value despite being a goofy dofus chappy.
As Benjii acted like a storm in a tea cup around Dortju’s hobit hole in the Ferry.
“Tea/Coffee?”
“Tea thanks, C’mon, then!”
“Well?”
“Did you know it was going to break?”
“What?”
“Shut up Dortju you knew somehow. Tell me how.”
“Just a feeling. How bad is the Radioscope?”
“Dortju I never said it was the Radioscope that was broke.”
“I know.”
“But how did you know on Sun I’d be seeing you Tues cause I couldn’t work with a broken Radioscope!?”
“Amy if I told you that I’d have to kill you. Here, take the bag out of it as you see fit you know where the sugar is.”
“Dortju, right nut I am not leaving it at that.”
As Amy got her tea just right, Dortju opened the porch door for Benjii who went off to terrorise any flies or snails he might come across in the back garden. But not until he’d sat and got Dortju’s permission to leave. He was always boisterous, respectful and too loyal.
They got seated around the living room table “Amy serious, it was just a feeling. I actually can’t give it more than that. I will mention it to Simon and Jettro though. I did think you’d be here on Tues and I honestly don’t know what gave me that notion.”
“Dortju your a mystery.”
“Aren’t we all, I just stick out from the mystery crowd some.”
“Dortju of all people, you should expect it.”
“Ain’t it. Right C’mon how far’d you get before said breakdown?”
“We’re closing in. So this ‘ray gun’ idea is coming on. To make a shield you need the globes space in tons near enough amount squared to get the wattage to make a workable shield. We’ve tweaked it some over the years but never improved on the formula. It’s unlikely they will have. Except their’s might be of a variable frequency. But for them electricity is the same as for us. This ray gun only needs a fraction of the power to make a ‘gate’ in the field. It actually just weakens the shield enough to let an object through. Now it’s looking to have the potential to deal with variable frequencies but not there yet. If we had a reading of the shield it would help so so much.”
“Amy bless ya thanks for that. Right I know a shield reading would be better but I’m afraid what we have to deal with is scouts data, I know it’s less useful then the readings of the Radioscopes…”
“When they work!”
“Life comes with set backs. Amy you’ve done well. Really, built a good foundation for yourself and I’m proud of what you are. Now I need a variable frequency ray gun out of you somehow.”
“Dortju I knew there would be a reason your were trying to be charming.”
“It’s not like you don’t when you want something.”
“Touche.”
They parted ways and Dortju was happy Amy was making good progress. He went into the back garden to throw Benjii’s stick for him. It was actually a stainless steel hammer but that was the only ‘stick’ they found that would out last a play session. He lit his pipe. It was a good way to occupy them both. Benjii never had much to say so long as someone threw his stick now and then. It helped Dortju think.
He had Raka on building humanities first Space fleet. Amy hard at the first shield blasting ray gun with Simon and Chani chasing down Telepathy at Carnegi.
He was just pissed off that humanity had spent all of antiquity at war. Found peace on Earth for a couple of generations and now all this. Why couldn’t people, even of different species get on. Apart from exaggerated ideas of too much of a difference or an ambition to conquer.
The proverbial old saying of ‘all bullies are cowards’ was holding true.
The Ancients seemed to have an ample dose of both. The wanted people conquered, to feel inferior and allowed to bully them as much as they could or fancied even. He wasn’t about to wear and now with his daughter about to be in the midst of things Dortju was ready to take the fight to them.
If their own population didn’t turn on the government first, and that was a real possibility and one Dortju was ready to exploit if he was able to connect with any rebellious factions in the populace. Every oppressed set of governed people had revolutionists.
Dortju’s training in The Art of War had included subversion.
‘C’mon Benjii ya daft fluffle pus let’s get you fed.’
An ears up tail wagging virtual horse size of an American Bullbog made an unnecessary bee-line to the porch door to wait for Dortju to enter first. Lovable loyal dogs but give them an inch and they take a mile. But he got his evening meal and got settled in the bed they’d made for him. As he got off to get snoring Dortju got to work.
He got on the net. He wondered if he could plant a seed with the right research team about mixing telepathy and Ion cannons. The respective wavelengths were close and the results that may come from it… A ships fighting capability removed and the death of it’s crew. Hardly anything. If the ships incapable of action maroon it and deal with the crew during due process later. But what if you could use the beam to turn the crew against their own fleet with the ship at full fight capability. Now that would be a battle advantage that would be worth considering. Telepathy research was hardly conclusive so far, the Ancients brainwashing capabilities could hardly be argued. He knew he was chasing pipe dreams but someone had to and he’d got this far, despite the Ancients.
He balked at the thought of controlling other people ideas from a distance and the abuses it could be put to. If successful such a mind altering technology could be the defining factor in saving humanity and could also be turned against it and be the fall of humanity.
In humanity their were groups who specialized in such activities most notably the Charles Manson ‘Family’ and the followers of Alister Crowley and such like related groups. Most of these mind control personality cults survived while the head of them lived, after most died off their own folly within a generation or two.
The Ancients had obviously devised a means to control the population through such means and Dortju had only managed to escape unscathed due to already having a strong inner sense of his own identity. Being able to control a person actions with thought control obviously worked better if you could start the indoctrination at the earliest of ages. It was in fact how humanity discovered how to make Mentats.
The afternoon was drawing on. He put his net pad down. He could only take so much galactipedia in one sitting. While fascinating it was dry reading.
Benjii giving up on snoring the house down meant he would likely be up soon. Dortju put the kettle on. The smell of coffee would hook onto Benjii’s dream like an anchor and he’d be in walk mode soon enough.
Ten mins later he was in the back armed with his coffee, net and Benjii’s stick that was actually a hammer.
He put a connection through to Chani using the net pad. They both still had brain pans but only used them by appointment or in extremis. Bit embarrasing to randomly connect with someone and find out their in bathroom. Brain pans could feed back some feeling to…
“Chani, how you doing?
“Going fine Dort and the projects in full swing. What’s news your end?”
“Raka’s doing well as is Amy. Simon and Jettro are both holding a steady helm and in general we’re all making headway. You enjoying Siberia?”
It was the nick name for the numerous research labs that existed on a number of the way stations between the 9 Tower basis’ bottoms and their outer orbit counter weights. Anything outside of the shield had been nick named Siberia.
Siberians didn’t mind. In fact they preferred working in the colder outer limits of space and said so. Many were employed as engineers on various jobs through the outer shield parts of the Towers tethers.
“Dortju why don’t I get an Ivory Tower? Ok joking aside making good headway. I just needed this solitude to get my head round this. It is getting a bit lonely but far from a conclusion however more than a few ideas brewing with all the relevant stats attached. Want me to send over what I have?”
“Chani I’d rather not read I got so much more by talking to you thus the call but actually fancy a quick visit?”
“Some company would be nice.”
“Well your getting two of us.”
“Aww Dortju I thought we could enjoy the view together after work.”
“We will. I come will Benjii.”
“Woohoo, perfect. He’s going to get some pod time out of me for sure.”
“I know. I’ll get on, sooner I do, sooner I’ll be there.”
“Get on, see ya soon.”
“Ciao.”
Dortju got him harnessed and ready to pod travel. Any Dog or animal for that matter traveling to space and many did and lived in outer solar system settlements had to travel enclosed in a pod. It was a house for them on wheels but it hovered and had all mod cons. It could have a tread mill and crib. Be hot,cold, dry, damp, half full of water, fully full of water fresh or salt at any temp. They came in many sizes. Benjii had his own at the port. His own blankie and all in his crib.
Benjii might not be allowed out but Chani was allowed in. The inevitable love bombing would be followed with the inevitable pines as she unpoded once they’d got bored with catching up.
He grabbed his overnight bag on the way out, he was under no illusions as to what Chani’s intentions toward him were for that evening.
Dortju got them to the space port in a travel pod and he was gotten into his pod. Went in happily enough and faked having to plonk himself down for a long stay. They got on a transtram and got headed topside.
The view still spoke to his heart. As the horizon seemed to slowly start an upside down smile the heavens opened. The countries and seas came into focus as the clouds disappeared in a puff of smoke and then the sheer mass of the world took hold. Immediately you knew what life meant. As you seen the masses and lands for real without the lines drawn on maps. As you seen the beauty it only got brighter.
There was the inevitable hold up at the shield as they moved from the oxygen assisted trantram to the outer orbit ones. From this point on if you left the trantram it was to space walk or through an airlock. They got to the lab Chani was at.
She was there to meet them. She’s asked Dortju to tune in while he was ascending. So she’d enjoyed the view some to. It set a nice mood for the night.
“Aw my two favorite trouble makers.” Dortju got a hug from someone who’d been lonely for 2 weeks and Benjii tried to wag his tail off.
Dortju let them get on with it. Chani couldn’t resist, she podded for a bit and then they got out the port. It was a medium size research facility with about 22 staff. 14 maintenance engineers and 8 scientists. It could comfortably sustain over 100 and sometimes but rarely did. It was in it’s lull season and that’s why Chani was here for the peace and quiet. With her and now Dortju and Benjii the population was now 31. The odd handful of pesky tourists always passed through.
They were already airlock cleared and it was a short corridor to the ‘living room’ but corridors strechted off in 18 different from a 100m acorss circular room lined with a number of living facilities. “We’re just along here.”
Dortju followed her through the 8th corridor and the pod followed Dortju just behind him, as it was programmed to. They got to the last ‘apartment’ of the corridor and it would have been described as the pent house suite in any hotel back on Ole Terra. It was a 20m across central circular living area with anything one could need from a hot tub, a viewing area that took ones breath away and 4 rooms off to the side all en-suite. “I’m impressed Chani, I am impressed!” He never failed to notice the vast amount of coffee being consumed. He could tell by her demeanor.
“Ain’t it fab. Come look at this.” She hopped into the viewing area and there was a ley-lo couch and glass floor.She plonked down on it. Dortju came through. He was gob smacked. You could see nigh on half Earth surface from here.
From above Scotland they could see from Mexico to India and barely make out details. Europe, Russia, Greenland and the N Americas could all be seen. As he sat down the Sun was just disappearing, they were in for a beautiful evening with a star lit Earth and the Moons orbit to watch as it’s orbit would bring it across the view den around 8pm.
“Chani, no words.”
They sat for a few mins until Dortju said “C’mon, didn’t come here just to enjoy the beautiful views.” he made a point of looking right at her as he said this.
“Dort, stop flirting. Right it’s always work work work with you. Want a drink?”
“A bourbon wouldn’t go amiss.”
“JD?”
“Aye over 2 cubes cheers.”
“Rough trip.”
“Long day.”
“Still early in the evening Dort.”
“I switch off the ciridan body clock when I see she after a long spate of time.”
She answered with cheeky eye contact.
“C’mon Chani, what’s the craic?”
Dortju had followed Chani back in as she fixed drinks he took a corner couch around the coffee table. Picked up a net tab and tapped the screen. Hit the button for new users and his fingerprint did the rest in 0.00034 seconds. Not too bad out here he thought. He got up what he wanted. The Solar System.
“Here ya go old master Mr. Dortju Sir.”
“Aye aye, cheers pet. How ya keeping?”
“Dortju, it’s intense work but I’m in the right place doing the right thing for the right reason. Yes I am wired on caffeine, yes I am not sleeping well and yes I have made some progress.”
“Fine too…”
“And I will burn out. Dortju I’m not 20 anymore.”
“Ok pet, what ya got?”
“3 options. Immediate in Extremis. Planned and Resettlement. Firgures are suggesting a 25% success rate for Immediate, 45% for Planned and perhaps as much as 95% for Resettlement. In a small nut shell.”
“Ok I’m tracking. Give me the time frames then.”
“1 week for Extremis. Gonnae need a couple of years for planned and Dortju Resettlement is anyone’s guess. Is there somewhere humanity can go live where they wont find us? I just can’t answer that. It’s a massive plan and initial estimates are suggesting we could do it in ten years but that doesn’t factor in the effects of any wars that may occur between now and then…”
“Em… Ok Chani, aye this is perhaps the biggest homework assignment anyone has ever been given and for a fornight by god you’ve come up with some sense. C’mon let’s get you fed… we can get you fed anyway and worry about saving humanity later and then…”
“What ya wanting for dinner then?”
He said “Chilli” as she said “Chilli”.
“It’s in the oven!”
“Fuck off!”
“Yep good Ole Terra Chilli, even got some minced beef smuggled up. It’s gen.”
“O Chani you are spoiling me!”
“Dinner first or a shot of the hot tub?”
“I’m famished.”
“Dinner it is. Stella?”
An hour later they were sated.
“Go on the give me the just of it?”
“Of those 3 options I want to suggest somewhere in the Planned, not Resettlement and certainly no in Extremis, too little and too late and all. However in Extremis plans must be installed. A plan for a Planned departure should be made and Resettlement considered.”
“I’m not disagreeing Chani, give me some details of what not so far…”
“Right in Extremis involves in a nut shell ferrying as many people as possible into as many spacelinears as we can make available and effectively scramble.”
“Planned would be a phased occupation of other secured settlements in the Solar System and of course elsewhere can now be considered. However sending people 20 light years away has inevitable consequences to familial time lines etc…”
“Resettlement is such a large thing with so many variables that I can but guess Dortju.”
“Your right, I know, what’s the outlines…”
“Ok mainly the internal how to more than the where to and it’s a logistical nightmare but we can plan to move and be ready for that, we have done it before in a baby step… as to where. I’ll get to that bit.”
“Chani, you’ve done really pet. Let’s hot tub.”
Hot tubbed they chatted in the view den for what seemed an age. Below the northern lights were doing a dance under the moon light slightly above them as they decided to bring the night to a close.
They spent the night in the view den.
The waft of Java brought him to. “C’mon sleepy head time to boogy.”
“Chani, let my eye’s open will ya.”
“Haha you used to do this to me.”
He got headed back with the brief files from what Chani had managed to do so far. They’d agreed she should stay up there another fortnight or so and see what else she could patch together, what they came up with out of this had serious consequences. The Ancients had already showed they could be formidable so you could see why Chani was pushing herself. She seemed happier for his visit and all in Benjii had obviously enjoyed the trip being less of a grump than he usually is.
Chapter 7: Others Out There
“Humanity exists among a trillion stars and an infinity of years, we may have missed our neighbors. Life is not a miracle in the universe. It’s just rare, respect it.” – Dortju
Dortju was going through Chani”s work and what she had done was already to quite a deep depth.
He’d been back in Carnegi since late last night and after a good nights sleep had read through her reports into early evening.
She’d focused mainly on the Planned option which did make sense. In Extremis and total Resettlement were both worst case scenario’s which had to be considered and then avoided.
Of course even a Planned evacuation was to be avoided if at all possible.
Dortju had asked Chani for a case study for a bolt hole to the Asteroid belt for humanity and she’d given him the classic short term, medium term and long term type answer.
Planned did make the most sense and was to a degree already underway. The occupation on Titan had been predominantly abandoned but it was far from mistaken in fact there was many an Engineers enjoying the challenge of keeping all the system online and to all intents they’d continued that colonies development and improved it more.
Mars and the Lunar settlements would only keep growing and there were already a score of ion cannon installations and double that spy platforms in the Asteroid belt. What they’d come up with last night as an immediate idea was just get construction crews appended to the ion cannon installations and start building houses and infrastructure to make as much sq footage as possible habitable as soon as possible. He’d have to take this to High council.
“Jettro, how’s it?”
“Usual. Same shit different day. What can I do you for?”
“Got the prelims on Chani’s report and thought it’d be good to give council the highs and lows.”
“Dortju your right on that one. We’re meeting tomorrow late pm re Tower/shield coord if you come along your report would be welcome.”
“Coolio, be good to see you all again. I’ll sign off.”
“Catch ya tomorrow, Dort.”
As Dortju got down for the night he could not help but think about how Jettro and himself used to rough house and do silly things like conquer massive hotel refurb scaffoldings when they were kids and now they were talking about running humanities known universe and fighting for it’s survival all thanks to the mess left behind from the Ancients. And all just in a days work.
He had one more call to make then it was hot tub time and bath. He wanted to look over the resettlement side of the report, something in it was nagging. Plus he could do with a relaxing beer after a steak.
“Amy, how’s it going?”
“Crunch time now really. Computers are doing the numbers. There coming up with the algorythms we need for each frequency and the most efficient ways of doing it. Matter of time Dortju. It keeps coming up with hiccups so yeah working on it. How’s Benjii when can I come see him?”
“Your welcome whenever you know where the spare key is but I won’t be about until the day tomorrow as busy with council.”
“Dortju I’ll come by in a couple of days, tea time, I’ll bring a take away it’s about time tea was on me.”
“Ok doke, took him up to see Chani they had a nice wee catch up.”
“Aww that’s so cute. How you keeping Dortju?”
“Usual pet, keeping on. Benjii a nice change of tempo shall we say.”
“He’s always been a biti hyper. I’ll get on as this thing does spit out the odd bug.”
“I’ll leave ya to it, great work.”
He got sorted for the night…
An hour later. “Amy you still up?”
“Course Dortju it’s only 10pm.”
“Cool me and Benjii are coming for super I have something I need you to look at!”
“Well ok see you soon.”
30mins of packing up Benjii and pod travel later. Dortju stood back while Benjii steam rolled over Amy with affection.
Once all settled “Dortju on what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Amy mind back in Brazil I came to visit you and we deciphered that message that led us to the Ancients.”
“Uh huh.”
“Think I might have another one for you.”
“Fuck off.”
“Seriously. I don’t know but I want you to look at it. Are you aware of what Chanis up to?”
“Yeah we keep in touch obviously.”
“Ok so she’s been looking at these different bolt hole options and while looking at her third option called Resettlement I noticed this perhaps fuzz in the radioscope feedback. I’m just wondering if that could be something that might indicate another message.” He had had a number of possible Resettlement spots to consider and radioscope feedbacks from each one was attached to it’s profile. Something in one of them had caught Dortju’s eye. Chilled night cancelled.
“Dortju your fishing in the dark here now.” Amy said as she looked at the output with a keener eye than Dortju.
“Ok but I could also be onto something.”
“I know. I’ll check it out, anyone can babysit the computer. I’ll get onto it. Benjii is staying with me for night I’ll drop him off in the morning.”
“Do you know I could do with a night off from his snoring to be honest. I’ll catch you in the morning and leave you be to your night.”
“Night Dortju.”
As Amy dropped off the fluffle puff the next morning “Any chance to have a glance at it.”
“Dortju gimmee a chance. Acht you know I had to before bed. This is not the same as the Ancient one you have just found a mist with no disceriable pattern that I can see, could be weeks, easily months.”
The next days council went as expected. Jettro was a good helmsman and everyone appreciated Dortju’s report. It was agreed things should be put in place to start sending at least a small team of a construction engineer and a couple of builders to each ion cannon installation immediately. No harm in having more berths in the Solar System at all. Chani hadn’t finished her study yet even but all agreed this was not a bad idea anyway. Dortju was glad to be brought up to speed on the Towers and shields development, it was down now mainly to labour trade and where it could be best utilized.
Chapter 8: Amy Bring’s Home the Bacon
“If it’s an idea you can envision, making it so depends on how capable you are!” – Dortju
“They’re talking to our whales.”
“Amy please make sense. Who when why what!”
It was 4am the morning after the council. The night before he’d had a good long chin wag about how to carry out the council mandate to get small construction teams mobilized to the asteriod belt. It was decided each Tower should ask for 2 teams of volunteers each. Dortju suspected there would be a slight over subscription.
“Slow down not got that far yet!”
“Amy what time is it.”
“Time to get excited we’ve just made contact with another Alien species or more accurately they’re trying to make contact with our whales.”
A part of Dortju’s mind had segmented off from the rest of his 4am grogg, from when he had a bottle of wine and headed to bed 3 hours ago, and went into overdrive. Extremis mentat mode.
“Whale songs. Emotions. Not digital so the Ancients wont suspect it, good ‘ole’ analogue. More likely bypassing the Ancients therefore more likely to be allies…”
“Dortju do you sleep with coffee on an intravenous drip.”
“Nah just used to being shocked awake early am most of my life. Right the rest of me will catch up but no I do not sleep with coffee on a drip. I am now about to go and make a coffee to wake the bones up, your on loud speaker so talk to me.” He went about his ‘usual’ morning. So they were not alone in this universe 2x… at least.
Until the prevalence of the microchip in modern communications analogue had been the only way to mechanically reproduce sound and was at no point converted in to 0s and 1s. (digital). A piano is as good an example of analogue means of sound reproduction as is a set of vocal cords and an ear drum. With digital a receiver had to convert the signal into 0s and 1s which was then converted back to whatever at the output end and this left a definable trail that any microprocessor could decipher. Analogue had so many more variables that is was just not possible to detect it among all the static in space. However Anor human mentats trained like Dortju could sniff it was there and Anor humans like Amy with her unique gift had picked it out and had already deciphered the language. Now they just had to figure out what was being said.
“Who do we know who speaks whale then?”
“Amy I suspect we going to be dragging a whaler of old and a marine biologist on board with this one. Let’s hope they bury the hatchet and work well together.”
“Dortju where do we start?”
“I suspect the whaler will decipher the distress warnings in the songs while the marine biologist will identify mating calls and it’ll more than likely be worked out from there. As a code syntax debugger I might be able to decipher some of the gaps yous will end up with while deciphering so sending me regular updates would make sense.”
This meant Dortju could contribute to the project but not undermine Amy who’d have to be the head of it with a couple of head butting specialists of opposing.professional ability.
“Right Dortju I’ll get on sorry to wake you at 4am to tell you there is another alien species out there, not!”
“Quite right Amy, quite right. Can’t see me hitting the hay again now. Get on with you.”
“Say hi to pupskie for me.”
What was he meant to do with this, another as yet unknown alien species out there only 10 parsecs away from the Ancients sending perhaps a coded message to us. And it was looking like they were not favorable towards the Anceints. But that was a complete guess at this stage.
No sense waking Jettro who did after all run the universe as humanity knew it. “Got some exciting exciting news. Counciling soon would be a very good idea. I’ll be by first thing to brief yourself.” He sent over the messenger pad.
Jettros pad pinged and he blinked a couple of times and yawned while his hand made it out from under his duvet and found the pad by his bed. Bugger he thought. It was 5am and Dortju was coming in an hour with some big news. Well that was sleep out the window then. Coffee brewing he went about his daily morning routine.
It was 6:02 and Dortju wasn’t there yet and Jettro was beginning to wonder. “Hey Jet you’ll never guess what.”
“Dortju you don’t others sleeping more than you and you still don’t know how to knock there’s two guesses.”
“We’ve made contact with another alien species. That’ll hit ya like an expresso.”
“Seriously?!?!”
“Told ya. Yep. Close to the Ancients system, only 10 parsec in it. Perhaps trying to make a phone call to the whales on Earth. That last part is yet to be verified.”
“Ok your forgiven, bring me up to speed.”
Only took Dortju 5 mins even with the analogue/digital bit. Jettro was never a dummy. They never always agreed and both knew that was never a reason to assume the other person was not as smart as you.
“By all accounts Amy has done well.”
“She has and she’ll decipher it soon.”
“Master with Honours?”
“I think so. It’ll make Chani Jealous but she really has come through in helping us defeat the Ancients in more ways than one.”
“I agree. Right so where we going with this then in council?”
“We’re hamstrung not knowing what’s being said of course but we’ll know that soon enough. I think making the council aware and just getting stuff together to establish regular comms somehow would be the best bet. I mean we can’t really much more just now other than answer the phone but I think we should get ready to go visit.”
“Why haven’t they visited us?”
“I’m guessing either they don’t want to or can’t. I can’t imagine there are many more planets that Earth whale songs can be heard from other than here. Can you?”
“Dortju, it all adds up, not arguing one bit of it. Ok council will be at 10am. Get on unless you want to help me make sense of these economic growth plans?”
“See ya at 10.” Dortju had apparently all of a sudden gone off coffee.
Dortju decided to leave telling Amy the news until after she’d deciphered the whale songs. She’d have her whale hunter and marine biologist by the end of the day and no doubt some results soon.
There was a greasy spoons cafe he liked between Jettros and Carnegi’s council hall. He’d go for a classic old Scottish breakfast. Nowt wrong with some sausage, black pudding, haggis, eggs, beans and tattie scone. He was in luck this one also served Guinness. An all day breakfast with a Guinness first thing was considered the breakfast of champions and Dortju never licked the plate out of manners. Rounding it off with a coffee he got into his net pad. He still had an hour to kill.
He did a Tower review, something he had to keep himself appraised of as the Minister of Preservation (unattached). The unattached meant while he was still funded and backed by council he was not answerable to them for a plan of action taken out of necessity. He could act immediatley and call on all resources anyone could mobilize without being asked why. Afterwards there was always a review and so far council had had him unattached for nearly 4 years. He was in essence humanities Executive Branch and if there was ever a surprise invasion the plan was to get Dortju to CIC and the rest of council into the Ark. Dortju would then take over everything until the attack was repelled. The same was the case for any ELE. Extinction Level Event.
There was a full WQSB and everyone had another hat. It was a Watch Quarter Station Bill and worked as well in space fleets as it did in navies of old. It meant when shit hit the fan your postie became a fireman. Mums became medics. Construction workers became relief workers.
For Dortju he was to be in CIC (Combat Information Center) as CIC (Commander in Chief) earned him the call sign of Kicky. Chani took over the Lunar Air Wing and her call sign was Phoenix, Amy had the job as Dortju’s back up. She just double checked him in real time and pulled him up on things he might be missing. She was uncannily good at it as she could read the boards and Dortju together so well. Her call sign was Gaia. Abby took over the Red Force and her call sign was Nemesis.
He stopped double checking everything for the umpteenth time and paid the bill with a generous tip. He had 15 mins before council and a 5 min walk to meander to get there while he pulled on his pipe. He didn’t think it was a hard sell, more a good news committee than anything.
Jettro got the meeting underway “Dortju the floor is yours.”
“Thanks, there is another species out there…”
After half an hour it was a signed deal. Plans were to be put in place on the contingent that they may well have allies out there or less likely another foe. Dortju took his leave and headed home.
Fuck it he thought. Pamper night, he went and spent an hour shopping. He was going to oven cook tonight and just slumber, he could see he’d be being sent on this scout soon.
He got in and preheated the oven. Laid the steak. Fridged the beer. Filled his pipe and ran the tub. 2 hours later Dortju added his own bubbles to the jacuzzi and just laughed to himself. He felt refreshed like only a steak with wedges and pepper sauce can do if chased by a dark stout and a smoke. He was so relaxed he never even bothered with his net pad. He must have dozed in the tub. It was still the perfect temp of course but his fingers were sure wrinkled. A slither of sunlight in the window so 2 or 4 am depending on whether it came from the east or the west at this time of year. He never paused long enough to check.
He got into bed and just let the duvet take him away again.
Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep.
O for fucks sake!!
“We need help!”
“Why what’s wrong?” Amy wouldn’t trouble him early hours with something minor.
“No, that’s what the message says.” Dortju give his head a kick in the ass.
“Good. Have you worked out how to transmit back yet.”
“We have, it’s timing we think will be the issue. This message is 12 years old. Heck of a long chat session that’s going to be.”
“No kidding. I’m going a scout. Well done Amy your promoted to Master with Honours it’s been preapproved by the council. Very Well Done!”
“Wait. Well I, O my, em…but”
“Sorry pet see ya soon.” Dortju hung up and headed over to the lab. He had to get on this and now.
“Wipe thy happy tear from thy eye. Thee be needist Specialist Master Amy!” She set off again but squared herself to the task. Dortju pushed on and was happy for her.
“Right take me through this.”
She took him over to the display table. The made brief eye contact as they crossed the floor, Dortju put his arm around her and pulled her to him as they walked and gave her one of those side on walking bear hugs. Let her go then nodded at the table. Everything that needed to be said about that now had been.
Amy wiped her eyes. Right she thought.
“It’s just this bit here repeating constantly. It’s almost like the same two people always having different chats about the weather every day and they are all different but unemotive. The only bit that is constant and also IS emotive is this sequence here and to all intents and purposes it’s a distress signal then an expletive and then the distress signal again. It feels like our SOS type signal. It’s not a warning away it certainly has connotations of welcome or come here and distress.”
“Thus we need help. Ok. And we have the time frame, 12 years and the exact locale. Of the rest is there anything else being said?”
“Every chance Dort. Every chance Dortju. Given more time I will make more sense of what I think is just nonsense but of course we’re on that already. It’s a slow process and I thought this much at least deserved a heads up.”
“Again. Amy perfect shout out. Wonderful work, you are genius. Ok let’s talk back chat.”
“Dortju, teleportation is still the only really efficient way and it still requires pads at both ends to do a return transmit. We could teleport a spysat and then not be able to retrieve it. So we either need to teleport someone to ambassador or have a working platform to chat.”
“I know, I was just hoping you’d found another. No worries. Well apart from that and let’s hope we’re not too late. I wonder if making contact is a good idea. If they need help and we need help…”
“Dortju knock that shit off. You once said to me ‘we’re all in this together – all of us. Don’t learn prejudice.’ So don’t you now start with the us and them shit.”
“Okayee and quite right cherrup.” Dortju actually felt chagrined and glad for it and if anyone could it was Chani or Amy.
“That’s Specialist Master Cherrup to you Dortju.”
“Quite right Skally Wag!”
“Fuck off Old Git!”
“Ok ok, not quite. Let’s hit the Java. Bit more to cover before you get rid of me.”
When sat in the lounge “Amy I’m going to be sent on this mission. I’m not taking Chani. She is D/CIC and the only person you know as well as me and your integral in all this. Your back up in CIC is vital. That Chani is a mirror image of me in strategy and tactics means you two are the only pair who can operate our planets defenses as well as me and you. Tracking?”
“And know where your going. Dortju I don’t like this.”
“Understood. She’s not coming in case I don’t come back. Now on the back of this I need two things off you and I’m asking you to burn the candles at both ends. Get me as much info out of this nonsense as possible before I go in perhaps a week. The other is you and Chani need some sim time in CIC together.”
Amy’s heart froze at the idea and accepted it. She was Anor and mature in such matters. Still. “Dortju, all in a days work. I’m down with it. One thing?! Make it make sense to me! Why not let someone else go!”
“That’s two. Fairly put. First is the Ancients are going to hit Earth while I am away. It’s a notion, could easily be wrong but that’s the CIC sim time explanation. May be precautionary but I think a sensible one. Ok?”
“I’m cool with that. Now why you?!”
“Who’s on the other side of my equals sign against the Ancients?”
“Ceilidh.”
“Exactly.”
He left without saying goodbye and without storming off. His look said it all. He’d had enough of conflict and was tired but he would fight on, for one reason only. He left her with a look of sadness, pride and a salute. She returned the salute and an understanding nod. She admired the square shoulders of him as he left quietly and knew the load they carried. They’d had similar upbringings and she got it. It took some back bone to carry that weight. She had it in her own wee way and just as strong.
Chapter 9: Contact
“First impressions only last once, forever” – Dortju
It took 3 months to make contact in the end and Dortju did have to go on a ‘scout’ but as it turned out it was more comical than dangerous. They’d all bring up their previously unwarranted misgivings over many a drink on many a night out for years to come.
This 2nd Contact alien species for humanity had turned out to be more in tune with humanity than most had worried about in fact in some ways too much more so. Bureaucracy.
They could commune in English and as it turned out had tried to make contact with whales as they thought they were the most intelligent. Dortju hardly blamed them.
They knew English also and a teleport link had been established. After some hi, how’s you? stuff a connection program had been sent. Dortju in a way loved it and hated it. It’s was as laughable as it was entirely serious. They’d sent through a pre thought out connection program, as a suggestion.
Dortju kinda wondered why had he not thought of that and also why the fuck would he. Like why try plan it all from the off.
Everyone was running along with it and so far it looked like the Auspexos, as they called themselves, were well organized snow flakes. There was no other way to describe it. It seemed the Ancients had almost become bored with them, but they still wanted out from under their yolk. Thus the distress call.
Dortju just couldn’t laugh at it due to the magnitude of the situation but he fair wanted to!
To get help with the Ancients humanity had managed to find a species that specialized in paperwork with a passion. If it was possible to bore others to death the Auspexos would be deadly. It wasn’t like they were just boring though, they got excited, but only over paperwork.
Establishing a connection had taken a few weeks. Then Dortju had been sent to the system. With a Teleport platform ‘in the boot’ and a few engineers to help with putting it together. It had worked.
He’d arrived in his speedster with crew and platform on board. That had been a trick in itself. They’d more or less been greeted upon arrival. And a link had been set up.
The greeting involved them sending out scans. Getting digital replies. Establishing a comm link and then a means to transmit English to each other. It had taken 3 frustrating and boringly exciting days but after that the rest was well like doing paperwork. An embassy ship was sent out to meet them while they put the platform together and more or less had tea.
It was just a couple of hours meet and greet affair. They’d been invited into the ship. All had gone and all were combat trained. The Auspexo were as taller and skinnier than humanity as the Ancients were shorter and broader. To be expected as their planet was about the size of Mars, in fact a Marsian would think they looked entirely normal. They had a synthetic tea that was just like tea, bit bland but tea is.
It was agreed peaceful relations were mutually desired and Dortju quite literally got his marching orders from them in the form of the connection program. A list of steps to do to achieve connection. He thought it a good idea as much as a bit of a daft one.
It was all progressing but Dortju was beginning to wonder if they were taking on more baggage than assistance with this alliance. The connection program was asking for a LOT of assurances almost as an expectation. Dortju knew he’d have a thing to say about that in the months to come. He’d be surprised if another was tasked with making the relationship work. He knew the Ancients were busy in the background he only hoped they never did anything too overt while he was away working things out.
“Chani ya keeping well?”
“Aype. I’m guessing some busy times are around the corner so I’m getting some fam time in. You’ve been off ivory towering it a bit this last week.”
“Yeah been mulling over a few things. Can I drag you away from the homestead to use you as a sounding board some time soon?”
“Course Dortju. Simon is teaching them how to play Monopoly tonight. Please give me an out excuse!”
“Chilli at mines around 7?”
“Perfect.”
“See ya then.”
“Wow what we covering, get my head in gear at least.”
“It’s a pre war council Chani. I’m going to have to meet with the troops soon and need back checked a tad.”
“Roger that. See ya at 7.”
It was 8 before they were fed and watered and sat by the fire.
“You always make chilli with rice when I come over but otherwise you enjoy it with wedges!”
“It’s cause I know you like my rice.”
“What if I said I prefer wedges?”
“Would you be lying…”
Chani couldn’t truthfully answer that.
“Class meal nonetheless. So what’s bugging you.”
“The Ancients and you in as few as words as possible. If they come at us while I am away it’ll be on you and Amy to direct defenses and I’m looking for gaps in the plan. I’d rather we found them than the Ancients showed us them.”
“Gotcha, standard Art of War stuff. Dortju I think we’ve covered everything we can. We have Ion cannons. Couple of space fighter wings, a fleet on the way with even a couple of frigates able to fire from Earths Orbit but as yet can’t space travel. Nevermind all the sheilds and outposts.”
“Chani you’ve just told me what I’ve been thinking about all week. Now in that chain you just said. What’s the weekest link and why.”
“I’m going to argue to light on fighters but then I’m the Air Fleet Commander for the Lunar Air Wing so I am likely to be biased.”
“As good a place to start as any. We need more mobile firepower is all. That’s the gap. We have a shield that is very effective and our outposts are only going to get better. But we are low on mobile fire power across the Solar System.”
“My fighters were the least effective in the last invasion. The drones only helped defeat their drones. Raka Red Force were excruciatingly effective but at what cost. We can’t plan to kill our planets to win against another invasion.”
“Exactly. I’m not wearing that as much as council would. Ok you’ll gen me up on this, what’s the hold up on more fighter?”
“The chassis. We have wings galore, engines galore and plenty of cannons and once they’re in orbit they power themselves. It’s just the chassis that’s the hold up. They don’t exactly get slapped together for a reason, they’re very specially engineered titanium made structures the size of a large back yard. It just takes months to make them.”
“I know and the machines to make them take years to make. Ok dead end. Is it worth looking at ICBMs again?”
ICBM’s was a misnomer that had stuck. It stood for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which was what the US, Russia, UK, France and China could use to launch nukes to other continents back in the day. Now the same technology was being looked at to fire the rockets at enemy ships in space and Interplanetary Missile had just not cotton’d on.
“Dortju not really they just can’t connect and if we detonate close by being inertialess just makes the craft move away from the energy blast with the only effect being getting a bit warmer?”
“Ok but can we change the nukes and make them more effective?”
“You go ahead and work out how to control an atomic explosion and I am all ears Dort!”
“Right right right.”
“Attach Ion cannons to a drone?”
“Eh? Exactly how many spare Ion cannons are there?”
“I’d need to check current stock but that count there was nearly 1000 there ready to be fitted to an XW2 but they have a fraction of the power of a land based one.”
“1000 units.”
“And attach them to if not a Drone or an XW2 then what?”
“Asteriods and Spysats. We assign each set of say 50 Ion cannons to any given quadrant, link them and drone operate them from CIC and anything they target get’s hit from the closest of the 50 wee Ions Cannons at once.”
“Aiming”
“Swivel mounted or fix mounted and make the Sat/Asteroid maneuverable/aimable.”
“Dortju that would be like a grid of batteries controlled from CIC and potentially deadly and very effective.”
“I need this worked on by you asap.”
“I know. I’m only just back from Ivory Tower mode to. I’m doing this as an at home homework assignment though. Want my fam time.”
“I wouldn’t ever argue that pet.”
“I know.”
“Also I think you may be in line for Master with Honours from that report about our evacuation, it’s been actioned by council in that they are jaw boning it to bits but they are running with it. Your stint in Siberia gave the council something they need and you an award you deserve.”
“Glad my 4 weeks topside paid off some dividends then.” Inside she was bursting with joy and the slightest resentment that Amy had beat her to it.
“Well as it happens I have a bottle of champagne here so we can toast your achievement and then I think it’s time to get you back to said family young Specialist Master!”
“Dortju I need a sublimated sapiosexual night if your willing.”
“Happy to, in fact it might well be productive! In fact I know it will be.”
Dortju put away the champagne and put the kettle on. Ready for some espresso fueled debating. A small alcoholic drink around 4-5am would knock them out from the caffeine high.
They were about to shoot the shit till the sun came up and in essence play the game of who has the biggest geek dick. They were taking an almost sexual pleasure in being smart to one another but sublimated the desire into intellect.
Not uncommon among Wizards and Witches but not too frequent either.
They were always spiritual and emotionally expensive.
Chapter 10: Dortju’s Council
“Is one mind better than two? Or not, that’s the point. we want agreement to our ideas. Just think, don’t seek approval for it.” – Dortju
+306. Dortju had it at last. The answer to Chani’s last riddle last night and one she’d got from Amy.
*********************666.696 x 333.333+888/69 = or some shit like that **********************************
It had been an equation they’d both memorized and the riddle was to get the sum of the equation. There was no hint as to whether one was looking for a positive or a negative and Dortju had decided to sleep on it.
One of the consequences of mentat training (and even just stressful life) means the mind does not process a lot of information until one sleeps. Thus ‘sleeping on it’ was in fact backed as scientifically beneficial not only to a person general mental health but also his analytical abilities.
It was closing in on 10am and he had a date with his shower soon. He kissed the coffee maker first and got her to work.
Already refreshed and suited and booted for the day he sat down with the Java and gave the V’s up sign to his personal wall pad for the net. They could take any form of ID from voice recognition to facial recognition and hand signals. Dortju always went with the latter, most secure option and of course had to add his own twist to it. He loved and hated the net as much as the next liberal thinker.
The difference between facial recognition and the other two was for the other two the phone operator had to be awake and willing. This was realized after a few thousand people had lost their pads to muggers who took a quick ‘shot’ before they ran off with the pad. A person could easily defeat their own voice and hand signal passes but ones face is ones face.
Nothing too exciting was going on in the worlds of Solar. Mars had had a minor Earthquake during the night but it was no where near either of the settlements and there was no reported damage. An FYI news article.
It must have been mundane seeing the news on Ole Terra, they must have had to talk a lot about politics and weather and then fill in the gaps with celeb gossip he guessed.
With the Earth essentially becoming uninhabitable to humans apart from in 9 seperate colony Towers spaced around the globe things had been readjusted priorities wise. News serviced ended up with essentially the job of being a recruitment agency.
“More help is needed by wielders in block 32, Tower 3” or some such, was not an uncommon newscast in the last generation.
Dortju flicked it off and got his office tab out of his belt pouch, flicked the screen and got his pipe going. He had council at 12 so just over an hour to kill and it was 10 mins away.
He’d wanted Chani last night in the professional sense as a lieutenant and ended up with her personal interest into the question and a whole night brain storming which was exactly what he’d needed. They’d got a bit juvenile towards the end of the night but had also reinvented Earths defenses over and over again from scratch.
Dortju was ready for council with a fertile mind ready for fresh ideas.
“I’m bring this meeting to order blah blah blah. How is everyone?”
He laxed on a bit of hype.
To an expected mixture of “Great, excellent, brilliant, even a fantastic.”
Dortju wondered the response he’d have got if any if he’d asked that same question using boredom.
Chani was there as was Amy. Dortju had told Abby, Raka, Mhairi and Senya to attend and had invited Simon and also Jettro. He felt like the other ministries should be represented here to.
“Ok everyone so we’re here to discuss a minor affair of saving humanities skin again so let’s not take this too seriously.” He’d made his point without being too serious. This was the real shit business but Dortju wasn’t going to listen to any doom or gloom sayers at this council.
“We all know one another but I want a quick round the table disclosure of what your current project is and it’s status. Let’s start from the left, Abby?”
“For me it’s simple. Make the Red Force as formiddiable as possible. I have 2200+ units combat ready. 168 Pilots awaiting their XW2 and a heck of a lot of drilling going on with ground and maintainence crews only imrpoving by the day.”
“Thank you. Mhairi?”
“We just keep making the Moons defenses more bad ass and doing what we can to be Chani’s ‘aircraft carrier’ around this wee ball of mud we’re sitting on. I’ll defer to Chani on the Lunar Air Fleet for a report.”
“Thanks. Raka?”
“Fleets coming on boss. We have 7 frigates that are fight capable and 12 under construction. We’re not likely to have them flyable for another year though but 7 can shoot and expect on more shooter online every 2 months. I’m afraid with the cruisers and destroyers we’re still building hulls.”
“Ok good news. Where are the 7 frigates.”
“Lunar orbit.”
“Ok. Simon and Jettro, gentleman may I suggest we give you both a question time at the end of the round table.”
“Sure.” Simon.
“Of course.” Jet.
“Amy?”
“The shield nullifier is well underway in the development stage. We either need permission to trial it on an existing shield or have one built for us to ‘take out’.”
“Cool, Chani?”
“Dortju I think you should do the brief on that one.”
“Aye ok. We want to arm spysats and asteroids with excess XW2 Ion cannons and link them to a fire button in CIC that would allow us to shoot at anything within their range. Our weakest part in our defense is mobile firepower and while this does not give us mobile firepower per se, this ‘close’ to home it’ll give us the impression of mobile firepower. Master Jettro or Master Simon if either of you have any questions to floor…”
“Dortju I am happy observing and pleased to hear things are progressing.” Switzerland would have had nothing on Simon’s neutrality.
“Trust me to nit pick. Mhairi can I ask for more details on Lunar defenses been so tied up in Earths affiars.”
“I’ll let Chani back check me on this but I believe the most formidable part of the Lunar defenses is it’s air wing and it sounds like from what I have just heard this is being expanded to include munitions from the spysats and asteroids. For the Moon itself we have 3 super Ion cannons online and 4 more being made. One of them comes online in 8 months and then the rest 4 months on each afterwards. Apart from that is the drones which can be sent off individually to quite close targets and we’re looking into making a drone rocket which will in essence carry anything from 5-50 drones to a farther away target of limited use just now at this stage.”
“You ain’t getting out of this one Chani.” Dortju teased.
“Quite right. Ok we’re in development stages still at the minute. We have more Ion cannons that can be currently fitted onto XW2 fighters so Dortju and myself hatched this plan to arm spysats and asteriods and perhaps make them maneuverable/aimable and connect them on a grid sequence and make approaching our system with hostile intent just a bad idea. It would follow apparently as the leader of the offensive Lunar Air Fleet that I should also command this however it could also be a save all button in CIC but then that could be too little too late. Like I said still developing it.”
“Chani sounds like your on the ball.” Jettro.
“Chani we could consider I lead the Lunar wing while you take charge of the outer defenses.”
Dortju stood. “Guys we’re into the tactical. Which is good. Please consider I’ll more than likely not be here for the next invasion. Chani will be me in CIC. Jettro and Simon you will be in the Ark incommunicado. Amy will back whoever is in CIC… we can not do a tactical plan right here right now for any event that may happen. Are we all happy what bases can be covered are being or is something blatant being missed here?”
“Telepathy, emotion and immortality.” again that quiet thud from Simon.
“Simon I believe you should take the floor.” Dortju gave way.
“Simply put they seem to be our biggest difference and advantage over the Ancients and also the Auspexo. I’m immortal and wont be the last. Telepathy is in the pipeline. Human will has proven again and again to come through against the odds. I believe this has been missed from discussion and I would like to hear any discourse on subjects like morale and will among the forces.”
“Fair question Master Simon. Raka?”
“Troupe morale is key. We actually have you to thank for a lot of it. Many of the ground crew believe you are worth fighting for. We’ve not had any propaganda unit try ‘sell’ you to them in anyway as a deity but it seems the mother nature in us all has hit the troops and they all think your worth fighting for. Dortju is also an inspiration and my own field record speaks for itself. I have perhaps the most loyal fighting force humanity has ever had. Good question but well and truly covered.”
“Raka, your not known to blow smoke up anyones arse which makes what you just said that much more complimentary.”
“If it means anything to you I believe in you to.”
Simon only took it as good news. It anything Dortju could be reckless, Jettro too cautious and it was on him to find the narrow way between them. It was a good team.
Dortju was in no way about to hinder any camaraderie being built.
“Thanks Raka, makes the time we put in worth it.”
Raka knew.
Dortju sensed it. Raka was not about to develop the tendancy to blow smoke anytime soon either.
“Ladies and Gentleman, this is it. We’re going into these skirmishes in this last generation against the Ancients half cocked and coming through by force of will alone. Which was an achievement. But we have to get off this back foot. Take the game to them. We have new allies. Of unknown capabilities but also as Master Simon pointed out a number of advantages to. I think the skirmish days are over and we have to, have to get an initiative of some sort somehow sometime soon. We only have to find a little chink in their armor and we have every chance of surviving this.”
“I want to take a minute to impinge on that, defeating this war lust in the Ancients (not the Ancients, their war lust) is key to our very survival. We have to show them an upper hand. Somehow bring them to the table and get out from under this bubble of shield over a pseudo version of what we used to call home. Imprisoned in our own homes on our own world.”
“We have plans, resources and more than enough willingness. So we are going to do this, for one reason and one reason alone, which is?!”
“Humanities survival.” came back in chorus, it was part of the Code of Honour for the Orders of Magic.
And Ceilidh.
Now the big question was could they persuade the Auspexos to arm themselves.
Dortju was beginning to think humanity should have just stayed home.
Time would tell.
Authors Note:
I have not drawn upon any new ideas in this story so no credits due other than to us all.
We’ve invented everything that exists from fire to man made space vehicles.
We still have a few high level standards to achieve obviously. Breaking the speed of light! Can we? Teleportation? Time travel? Telepathy? >… Immortality. Are we already immortal? It’s a question religion will always claim they have answered but is it still to be answered?
With peer examined proof. Religions don’t have peers. They have followers and enemies.
We’ll forever reach for the stars since the wright brothers made flying possible and an infant boy could leave the front yard. We have it in us to explore. Experiment. Try new things. Push boundaries. Beat limitations and it’s what makes us such a powerful force in the world/universe.
Determination.
How many twins finish one another’s sentences? Couples do it to all the time. Telepathy? It can’t be far off.
Ok 90% of what we say is not vocalized. So the rest is communicated anyway through, vision, scent, body language, general attitude, facial set, the list goes on. It’s called minutiae or paying attention to details. So? How far away from reading one another’s minds are we? Can’t be too far. Poker?
Nothing was possible until someone worked out how – then everyone wanted a piece of the action.
How many humans had flown pre-1900? How many have flown since, how many times?! How many have been sent to the Moon (and why is it so few?!).
Where did the thirst for space go? We’re born explorers. Not just jump about this lump of mud travelers.
I’m a keen climber and once I joined a climbing club. It was a Tues/Thurs club and we met 2 evenings a week. Hardly an inventive chap who came up with that name but he was a good climbing coach during those nights.
He asked me once “When did you take up climbing? For the fortnight you’ve been coming you seemed to have gone from amateur to expert quite quickly.”
“I never stopped.” was all I had to say. Took him a minute to catch on.
We have new ideas. We have new chances. We have the heavens open to us. There is no passport needed on the shuttle.
Yet!
If your leaving your country, you don’t need a passport or visa if your going into orbit. It’s a ‘fashion’ that arose in 1414 (thank you not, King Edward). Is it still helping! this passport thing?, walls, boundary/border stuff? Born on Earth, of Earth. Seems a simple enough idea to me, can the rule of law and order destroy harmony? It’s the us and them a Nazi view that makes us want to build walls and have an excuse to build walls! ‘We’re better than they are…’, Really?!, Is a family better divided over a religous calling or not. Ref: The Troubles. If you were alive in the 80s you know how insane it got. Who’s deluded now? No one!? Everyone who’s breathing is playing their game. Some might be more useful, none have more rights than the other. If your think otherwise, you may want to hook up with neo-Nazi’s. Enjoy. They are worse in their behaviour towards women than any religion. Shame. The KKK was hardly staffed by gentlemen. White supremacists are too far right, by far.
Think on that.
Let’s be the explorers we where born to be. Reach for the skies, not conflict. So long as we have no exterior enemy to fight, we ‘in-conflict’. That applies to humanity as much as it does to a family and a couple. Even a person.
As a species, we’re ultimately better as a whole. We look toward more accomplishment. Not inward to more blame.
So let’s expand our worries, take on more. Not cower at home but get out there and create.
What?
A universe.
The limit is our own imagination.