The Ascent

Chapter 49

I set the com system to alert me when Chief Droemer called me back. It woke me twelve hours later just before the start of the first shift. Droemer appeared on the monitor looking as if he hadn't slept since the day before, but he wore a look of tired satisfaction on his face. "I take it you've made the necessary adjustments?"

"Yes. We were able to install the gravimetric sensors by ripping out some interior bulkheads to open the cabin space to the limited hull storage. Environmental is hopelessly compromised; it won't support a pilot or crew..."

I rubbed my face trying to wake up,sickened at the thought of how they had mutilated my ship. "Please spare me the gruesome details. Just tell me the Argippus will be able to catch the Cack ship."

"It will."

"Good. Then talk to Mia and make sure it can be launched from the bridge."

"Yes, sir."

He signed off and I checked our location on the navigation charts. In the last twelve hours we had crossed ten systems and were getting very near the Sol System. If we were going to stop them, we'd have to do it soon. Not wishing to interrupt Droemer's work with our tactical officer, I took a shower, dressed, fixed a tea and grabbed something to eat. I sent Mia a request to talk as soon as she had finished with Droemer and waited impatiently watching the AUs go by. Minutes later, she sent me are quest and I connected. "I assume Chief Droemer has told you the plan?"

"Yes, sir. It sounds like I'm going to fire a ship at another ship."

"Pretty much. Once we 'fire' the ship as you put it, it's going to have to intercept the Cack ship before they can transit through the next gate. Our...weapon...won't drop out of FTL until its reactors overload and it won't survive a trip through a gate on H-drive."

"Ah, I see."

"That means we need to 'fire' it the moment we transit through a gate ourselves to give it maximum flight time to intercept."

"I understand. Is there anything else I need to prepare for?"

"Have a complement of troopers standing by. If this is successful, the Cacks won't be able to power their engines, but they may well have enough antimatter reserve to maneuver and power their weapon. We can't relax until that ship is either destroyed or in our hands."

"Why don't we just destroy it then?"

"We will if we have to, but we are facing a war and we need a look at the technology they'll be sending against us.

* * *

Chief Droemer ran continuous tests on the Argippus' gravimetric sensors and its navigation system, finding small faults that required delays to fix. As the number of systems between the Cacks and Earth dwindled from a dozen to three, I sent him an urgent message. "Mike! You promised me you'd have the Argippus ready before we reached Earth."

I heard the clatter of tools and the chatter of techs in the background as he switched on his mic. "She just passed the last check. I'm giving Mia the green light now."

I killed the link and switched over to the bridge's data feed and messaged Mia at the same time.

"Yes, sir?"

"Mike says the weapon is ready. How are things on your end?"

"Force Leader Joyner has had to make a last minute crew replacement, but she say's they'll be ready."

"Very good." I closed the link but continued to monitor the bridge's data feed. We were minutes away from the gate. I kept glancing between the chronometer and the navigation plot as the distance to the gate closed. Finally the H-drive switched off and we transited. I held my breath counting the seconds, waiting for the recoil from the mass launchers firing my ship at the enemy. After nearly a minute, I let it out and messaged the tac officer just as the H-drives kicked in. This was definitely not the plan.