Dubious Heroes: a novel Read online

  I had a hunch that anything complicated to Boo would be incomprehensible to the rest of us.

  "So, you installed your own gravity generator, and it didn't work", I said.

  "This ship was the test platform", Boo said. "When it didn't work here, we didn't bother installing it anywhere else. It was just sheer chance that this ship would be the one you'd... obtain."

  "Something tells me you've been refitting some of the older UP ships with the new star drive", Cozi said.

  "Yes, we have been", he said. "With Speedlink, too. Honestly, though, only a few of them belong to the UPDF."

  "Like the Dominion", Kyra said.

  "Yes, that was one of them", he said. "Mostly, the bulk of the upgrades have been in our ships. It makes getting around a lot more convenient."

  That was possibly the biggest understatement I'd ever heard. Thanks to the new star drives, the UP and DEC could zip around the galaxy at will, while the rest of us had to spend months plodding along in normal space, just to get clear of the gravity wells before transiting.

  "But you were able to fix the drives on the Defender and Princess of Arabia?" I asked.

  "Fix isn't really the correct term", he said. "In reality, the new version isn't all that different from the old one. It was essentially just a software upgrade. Those units won't be quite as efficient as the newer ones, but they should work well enough."

  I was pretty sure Boo had no idea that he'd just given us a piece of information that would prove priceless; with the proper software patch, nearly every star drive on every ship could be upgraded to work almost as well as the new ones. It seemed like a good time to change the subject.

  "How's this thing look, so far?" I asked, patting the deck.

  "Like an ordinary shuttle that's been weaponized", Cozi said. "So far, we haven't found anything that shouldn't be here. I still have to scan the hull with millimeter-wave radar and make sure there aren't any hidden surprises. At this point, I kinda doubt we're gonna find anything."

  "Not the resounding vote of confidence I was hoping for", I said, "But, I'll take it."

  "Given what we're about to do with it", Kyra said, "Rigging it with a bomb would be kind of redundant."

  "You've all become such optimists", I said, smiling. "Personally, I've no intention of getting my ass shot up, nor yours. Once things start to get too hot, we'll be leaving, as quickly as possible."

  "You've never seen real fighter jets in action", she said. "With a good pilot, those things are fast, and they're vicious."

  "I've watched a ton of vids", I said, even though I knew they weren't the same as being there. "Besides, Mac says that they don't have all that many fighters left."

  "Did he by chance define all that many?" Cozi asked.

  "I doubt it", Kyra said. "But since he didn't, I'll do it for him. There used to be thousands of fighter aircraft on Earth, so Granddad wasn't kidding. They probably only have a few hundred left in service."

  "Oh, wow", Boo said, echoing my own sentiments pretty accurately. The idea of three hundred or so fighters coming after us was, in a word, sobering. Still, if I didn't act confident, then no one else would be, and we'd be defeated before we'd even begun.

  "I know that sounds like a lot", I said, "But to begin with, we're going to spread them out, and on top of that, we aren't going there to engage them; my primary job is going to be doing a lot of dodging. We'll keep them busy for a while, then head back into space where they can't follow us."

  "While the rest of us sit aboard this ship getting shot at by those same fighters", Cozi said. "The Bonny Lass may be fast and agile, but the Revenge is not."

  "The light weapons those fighters carry shouldn't be able to so much as ding the hull of the Revenge", I said. "Yes, they do have missiles, but unlike the Enigma, this ship has military-grade ECM. Now that we have the manuals, we actually know how to use it, as well. Those fighters shouldn't be able to touch you, but you'll keep an awful lot of them busy, trying."

  "We can always transit out if things go badly", Ceris said. "Can't this ship do that?"

  Boo looked over at her, and I didn't like the expression on his face.

  "Upset stomach, Boo?" I asked.

  "I don't think that's it", Cozi said. "My guess is that our star drive doesn't work quite like we think it does."

  "It depends on where you are", Boo said. "This generation of star drive can compensate for a certain amount of gravity. The old ones were very sensitive to any ambient forces, so I worked out a way to counter some of it. From Earth orbit, or even someplace like Triton or Luna, I'd say no problem. Unfortunately, the closer you get to Earth, the deeper you are into the gravity well, and that's a substantial force, way beyond the safety margin I engineered into it. So, if you're in space, even in orbit, I'd say go for it. If you're close enough to be in the atmosphere, I'd advise against it, and I say this as someone who'll be along for the ride."

  I glanced over at Cozi and Kyra, to see if they'd caught what I had, and their eyes told me they had. Boo had been referring to the work done at DEC as we, but as he'd been talking, the we had become I. We didn't just have one of the Beaulieu's; we had the Beaulieu responsible for the new star drive, and who knew what else. We had the brains of Dark Energy Corporation riding around with us in a pirate ship. He wasn't just valuable, he was priceless. On top of that, he seemed to be having the time of his life.

  "So, transiting out, at least while in the atmosphere, is not an option", I said. "Fortunately, the Revenge won't be alone; we will have some help."

  "Which we're going to need", Kyra said. "Those fighters aren't the only thing we're going to have to deal with. I expect a few of the new UPDF frigates will show up, as well."

  "They might show up", I said. "It kind of depends on when Mac makes his move. Even if some of them do show up, Mac thinks they'll stay in orbit. He expects that once all the outlying UP bases start yelling for help, they'll leave."

  "And by the time they get there to render assistance, it will be too late", Cozi said. "The UP will be done is space, and we'll all live happily ever after. We've heard this story a few times, you know."

  I shrugged.

  "Mac thinks it's a good plan, and so does anyone else I can think to ask, who might have even a fraction of the tactical experience he brings. These days, when it comes to conducting a war, he's the closest thing there is to an authority on the subject."

  No one looked convinced, and couldn't say I blamed them. It did sound a lot like the one I was trying to convince was myself.

  "I was just wondering", Ceris said, "Who'll be taking this lander, besides you, Captain?"

  "I'll be piloting, which you already know", I said, "and Kyra will back me up. We'll also have a couple of soldiers along for the ride, probably Cisco and Donner, mostly because they’re insisting on coming along. The rest of you will remain aboard the Revenge, where things should be a bit less exciting. I don't see our not being able to transit out as much of a factor, one way or the other. This ship can still hit orbit in a fat hurry, and once you're there, you can be gone in an instant, no matter who or what might be waiting for you."

  "And leave you guys behind?" Cozi said.

  "Hell, it certainly isn't my preference", I said. "But, the safety of this ship and everyone aboard her has to be the higher priority. If you guys have to leave without us, we'll just play it by ear. Worst case, we land and surrender. If Mac does what he's supposed to, I doubt we'll be in UP custody for long, should that happen."

  "That's a positive way of looking at it", Boo said, clearly impressed with either my courage, or my ability to ignore the facts of the situation.

  "Isn't it, though?" Cozi said, as he gave me the look he always did when he knew I was being somewhat less than truthful.

  Fortunately, I didn't think any of the others would read me as well as he could, or they'd know what he knew; of all the things which might happen, my surrendering wouldn't be among them.

  Chapter 46

  Earth look
ed as it always had to me, as a child of Luna; a mysterious blue and white orb that my own world revolved around. Now, it loomed large before me, literally and figuratively. The small sphere I was so used to seeing rise and set across a landscape of gray cratered plains and craggy peaks, was now this huge thing, alive and intimidating. I fought the feeling that it was going to draw me in, devour me, and lead me to my doom.

  Unlike most starships, the little wedge-shaped Bonny Lass could be flown visually; there were windows in the cockpit. Unfortunately, all we could see was the interior of the landing bay, as Kyra and I ran through our pre-flight checklist. The view of Earth was being piped into us onto a vidscreen, from the external cameras of the Revenge. I switched the screen to the tri-d radar; I was a lot more interested in who else might be in orbit with us, than looking at the scenery. Behind us, I could hear Cisco and Donner, talking quietly.

  Thus far, there were only the usual spacecraft you'd expect to find in orbit around a planet; a mixture of satellites, passenger liners, cargo ships, more shuttles than we could count, and a handful of UPDF cruisers. The latter were staying near the half-dozen large stations in orbit; presumably to dissuade us from screwing with them.

  "They know we're coming", I said. "This place should be crawling with UPDF ships."

  "My guess is that they're hanging around somewhere nearby", Kyra said. "They know we're here, and once things start to happen, they'll show up."

  "Yeah, you have a point”, I said. “When we hit atmosphere, I suspect we'll see more of them."

  "Probably more of them than you're imagining", she said. "Once they know this is really happening, we'll draw out everything they have. If it makes you feel any better, they already have half-a-dozen high-altitude interceptors down there, trolling for business. I'm seeing a bunch of fighter jets buzzing around Europe, too."

  "Sorry", I said. "The quiet bothers me."

  "It's the waiting that bothers you."

  "You’ve noticed that, huh?" I said, as I adjusted my IR headset. "I do hate waiting."

  "I notice a lot of things", she said, as the vidscreen changed, displaying our reentry path.

  “Yeah?” I said, “Like what?”

  "Like how easy it is to distract you”, she said. “You need to focus.”

  “There’s so much that requires attention”, I said. “It’s a bit overwhelming. I imagine this is all routine, for you.”

  "This isn't my first drop, but they’re never routine", she said. "Anyway, everyone gets a case of nerves the first few times. It's natural."

  "Maybe so, but I'd bet you didn't spent ten minutes in the head vomiting, before coming down here."

  "No, I did not", she said, "And thanks for sharing."

  "You shouldn't even be here", I said. "There's still time to change your mind. And you can take Cisco and Donner with you."

  "If you insist on flying this thing" she said, "You'll be flying it with me aboard. By the way, I didn't order Cisco or Donner to come along, they insisted on being here, and I couldn’t talk them out of it. I pointed out to them that there's not much of a chance they'll be able to do anything while they're strapped into a lander. You're welcome to order them to leave, but I doubt they they'll go."

  "Has everyone gone batshit crazy in the last twenty-four hours?" I asked.

  "Seems that way", she said, smiling. "Present company included. Look at it this way. You don't have much combat experience, whereas the rest of us aboard have a bunch. Whether we can contribute or not is questionable, but if it turns out you need us, or more specifically, our experience, wouldn't you rather have us here, than not?"

  "I suppose", I said.

  "Look", she said. "Don't take this as belittling your abilities, but on your own, I give you about a ten percent chance of succeeding. With help, maybe fifty-fifty."

  "Only a fifty percent chance of us making it", I said, "Yet, here you are."

  "Don't be flippant", she said. "This was not an easy decision, not for any of us. You may not understand this, but the people around you do care about you, and more importantly, they believe in you, though sometimes you don't make it easy."

  "Sorry", I said. "I know you and the others care, even though I don't fully understand why. It’s appreciated, nevertheless. I wasn't trying to be flip; I'd say giving us a fifty percent chance of making it is, well... generous. There's a damn good chance we're going to get shot down, sometime in the next hour or so. I'd feel a lot better if you weren't here when it happens."

  "You aren't the only one who has to sleep at night, Doon", she said. "I wouldn't be able to face myself, let alone anyone else, if I let you fly off alone and get killed."

  I looked over at her. I wondered if she was with me more from a sense of obligation, than actually having feelings for me.

  "That works both ways, you know", I said.

  "If you don't want me here", she said, "Then don't be here yourself. Postpone this thing, and have Mac send us that pilot. No one will know that the fearsome Captain Doon isn't really aboard."

  "Wrong", I said. "I'd know. Besides, I can't ask someone to do something I wouldn't do myself. Not if I ever want to look in a mirror again, and like the person I see there."

  She sighed, and smiled, a sadness in her eyes.

  "Well, there you go", she said.

  "And here we are", I said. Two of the most stubborn people in the solar system.

  "We have incoming transits, Captain", Angie said. "I show three ships."

  "Identify, please", Kyra said, switching her screen back to the tri-d display.

  "Two UPDF frigates, same class as the Revenge", Angie said. "The third vessel is a battleship, probably the Dominion."

  "I wonder if that's the only battleship they have", I said.

  "Probably the only one outfitted with the new star drive", Kyra said. "You can always ask Boo, if it matters. Anyway, I suspect that from their point of view, one of them is all they'll need."

  "We can ask Boo later", I said. "When we have time to decipher his answer."

  "No kidding", Kyra said.

  "We're being hailed", Angie said. "It's Captain Jorgensen."

  "I wonder if he'll tell us how many more ships he has lurking about", I said.

  "He could have an armada, just out of sensor range", Kyra said.

  "Do you wish to answer the hail?" Angie asked.

  "Yeah, pipe it in here", I said. I always seemed to enjoy talking to Jorgensen. It didn't hurt that I'd already bested him twice. If nothing else, I doubted he was losing interest in me. The real trick I needed to pull off was to convince him that we were really going to do what I'd said we were going to do.

  Jorgensen's now familiar face appeared on my vidscreen. I removed my IR headset, before activating the vid pickup on my end. There was no sense in giving him any information he didn't already know. I touched the button.

  "Captain", I said. "Good to see you again. We must be using the same travel service."

  "Captain", he said, nodding. "It's reassuring to see you still using humor to allay your fears. I'm afraid you've become rather predictable, my friend."

  "I'm the same guy I was when I bested you twice before", I said. "But, if you think it gives you an advantage, feel free to predict all you like."

  "I'm sure that's just what I'll do", he said. "This is folly, you know; you can't seriously believe this will work."

  "Of course it will work", I said. "There's an awful lot of firepower here, for something you're calling a folly."

  "Frightened old men do as they will", he said. "I told the high command that while you are daring, even reckless at times, you are not stupid. This escapade of yours is most definitely stupid; a futile gesture, at best."

  "Sometimes, all it takes is a gesture", I said. "Often, that's the only thing that history remembers. If it does, then we'll have won, whether I'm around to see it or not."

  He tilted his head, and studied me for a long moment.

  "I would almost say you're sincere", he said. "Almos
t."

  "I'm quite sincere", I said. "In a few minutes, I intend to prove it. Sometimes people are willing to die for what they believe in."

  "I'm familiar with the concept", he said. I thought he was going to say more, but he didn't, instead, just sitting and watching me.

  I considered another joke at his expense, then decided against it.

  "Look, Captain", I said. "I'm no hero. I'm just some guy who got involved in something, and it turns out that I actually believe in it. If this thing requires my life, well, then it does. Call it stupidity or whatever you like, but that's how I feel."

  I felt Kyra touch my hand, and glanced over at her, meeting her gaze. I saw something in her eyes I'd never seen before. I knew that she was willing to die, but not for the Revenge, or to free the AIs, or even for her grandfather. She was willing to risk her life for me. I looked back to my screen, uncomfortable with what I'd just seen. Jorgensen was still watching me.

  "You know", I said, "You could make this a lot easier for all of us. Go visit Luna for a couple of hours."

  Jorgensen smiled, and shook his head.

  "They're just machines, Doon", he said. "Are they really worth people losing their lives, or you losing your own life?"

  "They're sentient beings", I said. "No matter what your bosses say, you know I'm right. If they aren't free, then none of us are free."

  He looked at me for another long moment, trying to discern whether I was genuinely sincere, or just jerking him around again.

  "You know you're outmatched here, Captain", he said. "I won't ask for your surrender, I know you'll never yield. Instead, I'll offer you safe passage, on my word. Just leave."

  "I appreciate your offer", I said. "You truly are an officer and a gentleman. Unfortunately, I can't do as you ask. I wish I could, but I can't."

  "In that case, we're done here", he said. "May the Gods of War spare your lives, even in defeat."

  "Likewise, Captain", I said, wishing I'd had some pithy bon mot to leave him with. You never think of these things ahead of time. "Revenge out."