degrees.”
“Missiles activated. Stand by.”
“Standing.”
“Initial warp factor, 135.”
“Initial warp factor, 135.”
“Prepare for resumption of evasive maneuvers after warp.”
“Evasive maneuvers. Right.”
“Power inputs matching?”
“Matching—”
“Compensators set?”
“Setting them now.”
“Power inputs matched. Completed and confirmed.”
“Compensators set. Completed and confirmed.”
“Double-check that please.”
“Will do.”
“Frequency modules, one, three, and five on phrase reflex one three.”
“Got it. Angle of adjustment?”
“None.”
“None?”
“Right.”
“Lock in evasive maneuvers. Patterns Seven Gamma, Eight Gamma, Nine Delta; fifty seconds each.”
“Locking in; Seven Gamma, Eight Gamma, Nine Delta; fifty seconds each; to take effect three full seconds after stabilization of warp.”
“Can you cut it finer than that?”
“I’d rather not.”
“All right.”
“Missiles warped and away!”
“Go, baby, go!”
“Hey, man, it’s only a drill—”
“Shut up, you idiot!”
“Prepare to warp.”
“Prepared.”
“All lights green.”
“Go!”
“Go!”
“Go!”
“Going!”
“We have warp!”
“Interlocks in?”
“Interlocks in! Cycles released.”
“Evasive maneuvers resumed.”
“Confirming.”
“Right.”
“All clear on C deck.”
“Report status of missiles please.”
“They’re tracking—”
“Us or them?”
“Them, I hope.”
A voice from the bridge; “Status of missiles—we missed .”
“Aw, shit—”
Leen looks at Korie. “You couldn’t even give them that much, could you?”
Korie is sitting before his console with his hands in his lap and a bemused expression on his face. He looks up at Leen. “Actually,” he says, “the program waswritten so they would have a fair chance at it.” He takes a breath, loudly, not quite a sight; then taps the intercom button on his console. “Bridge, this is Korie. How much were they off?”
The answer is laconic: “Forty-three per cent off optimum.”
Again Korie looks at Leen. “You see? That’s why they missed. The way I wrote it, you have to get it down to 15 per cent or better to make the kill.”
“You think of everything, don’t you?”
“That’s my job.” Korie straightens in his seat and clears his board. “All right, let’s try it again. Bridge, set up Problem Two. Auxiliary engine control, did you have any trouble keeping up with us on the compensators?”
EIGHT
MEMO
FROM: Base Admiral Farrel
TO: Vice Admiral Harshlie
Joe,
Just as we figured, the enemy has opened up a third front in the GY sector. I don’t have to tell you the bind this puts us in. We can meet the challenge, but it’s going to be tough.
I want to move as many ships into that area as possible. We can pull some of them from GX and GV, but I don’t want to leave those areas underdefended.
What do we have on the docks here or at either of the advance bases that we can also throw into the donnybrook?
Stephen
MEMO
FROM: Vice Admiral Harshlie
TO: Base Admiral Farrel
Dear Stephen,
Nothing.
Joe
MEMO
FROM: Base Admiral Farrel
TO: Vice Admiral Harshlie
Dear Joe,
Come on now. I can look out my window and see six ships hanging in orbit—what are those, optical illusions?
Stephen
MEMO
FROM: Vice Admiral Harshlie
TO: Base Admiral Farrel
Dear Stephen,
Cruiser K-143 is the Massion , slated for advance duty in sector DL.
Cruiser K-146 is the Specht ; Tyler needs that for some special project of his own.
Cruiser K-151 is the Cutter , slated to join its sister ship, the Perry as soon as its interior fittings are completed.
Cruiser F-93 is the Burlingame . ‘Nuff said about that.
Cruiser F-101 is the Carver . She’s also for sector DL.
Cruiser H-13 is only a hulk. She used to be the Wilson .
Any other questions?
Joe
MEMO
FROM: Base Admiral Farrel
TO: Vice Admiral
“Missiles activated. Stand by.”
“Standing.”
“Initial warp factor, 135.”
“Initial warp factor, 135.”
“Prepare for resumption of evasive maneuvers after warp.”
“Evasive maneuvers. Right.”
“Power inputs matching?”
“Matching—”
“Compensators set?”
“Setting them now.”
“Power inputs matched. Completed and confirmed.”
“Compensators set. Completed and confirmed.”
“Double-check that please.”
“Will do.”
“Frequency modules, one, three, and five on phrase reflex one three.”
“Got it. Angle of adjustment?”
“None.”
“None?”
“Right.”
“Lock in evasive maneuvers. Patterns Seven Gamma, Eight Gamma, Nine Delta; fifty seconds each.”
“Locking in; Seven Gamma, Eight Gamma, Nine Delta; fifty seconds each; to take effect three full seconds after stabilization of warp.”
“Can you cut it finer than that?”
“I’d rather not.”
“All right.”
“Missiles warped and away!”
“Go, baby, go!”
“Hey, man, it’s only a drill—”
“Shut up, you idiot!”
“Prepare to warp.”
“Prepared.”
“All lights green.”
“Go!”
“Go!”
“Go!”
“Going!”
“We have warp!”
“Interlocks in?”
“Interlocks in! Cycles released.”
“Evasive maneuvers resumed.”
“Confirming.”
“Right.”
“All clear on C deck.”
“Report status of missiles please.”
“They’re tracking—”
“Us or them?”
“Them, I hope.”
A voice from the bridge; “Status of missiles—we missed .”
“Aw, shit—”
Leen looks at Korie. “You couldn’t even give them that much, could you?”
Korie is sitting before his console with his hands in his lap and a bemused expression on his face. He looks up at Leen. “Actually,” he says, “the program waswritten so they would have a fair chance at it.” He takes a breath, loudly, not quite a sight; then taps the intercom button on his console. “Bridge, this is Korie. How much were they off?”
The answer is laconic: “Forty-three per cent off optimum.”
Again Korie looks at Leen. “You see? That’s why they missed. The way I wrote it, you have to get it down to 15 per cent or better to make the kill.”
“You think of everything, don’t you?”
“That’s my job.” Korie straightens in his seat and clears his board. “All right, let’s try it again. Bridge, set up Problem Two. Auxiliary engine control, did you have any trouble keeping up with us on the compensators?”
EIGHT
MEMO
FROM: Base Admiral Farrel
TO: Vice Admiral Harshlie
Joe,
Just as we figured, the enemy has opened up a third front in the GY sector. I don’t have to tell you the bind this puts us in. We can meet the challenge, but it’s going to be tough.
I want to move as many ships into that area as possible. We can pull some of them from GX and GV, but I don’t want to leave those areas underdefended.
What do we have on the docks here or at either of the advance bases that we can also throw into the donnybrook?
Stephen
MEMO
FROM: Vice Admiral Harshlie
TO: Base Admiral Farrel
Dear Stephen,
Nothing.
Joe
MEMO
FROM: Base Admiral Farrel
TO: Vice Admiral Harshlie
Dear Joe,
Come on now. I can look out my window and see six ships hanging in orbit—what are those, optical illusions?
Stephen
MEMO
FROM: Vice Admiral Harshlie
TO: Base Admiral Farrel
Dear Stephen,
Cruiser K-143 is the Massion , slated for advance duty in sector DL.
Cruiser K-146 is the Specht ; Tyler needs that for some special project of his own.
Cruiser K-151 is the Cutter , slated to join its sister ship, the Perry as soon as its interior fittings are completed.
Cruiser F-93 is the Burlingame . ‘Nuff said about that.
Cruiser F-101 is the Carver . She’s also for sector DL.
Cruiser H-13 is only a hulk. She used to be the Wilson .
Any other questions?
Joe
MEMO
FROM: Base Admiral Farrel
TO: Vice Admiral
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