Read Online Riss Series 5: The Riss Challenge by C. R. Daems - Free Book Online
Authors: C. R. Daems
Tags: Science-Fiction
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One flight simulator was delivered during the second month, and everyone was tested to determine their reflexes, judgment, and interest. Surprisingly, not everyone wanted to be a pilot. Many of the candidates came to realize that doing maintenance on the fighters or operating the weapons would be more interesting. The simulator proved helpful in identifying those who might want to be pilots but who would never qualify, as well as in helping people realize flying a fighter wasn't as glamorous as it sounded.
By the end of the third month, Anca and Sorin, who had evolved into the senior instructors due to Iosif's lack of interest, had given everyone their assignments, and the classrooms for pilots, weapons operators, and mechanics became separate. Most were comfortable with their assigned positions—those who weren't left. That brought the number of remaining candidates to eighty, twenty of whom were women, more or less equally split between the three positions.
During the fourth month, two fighter prototypes were delivered. Iosif became the primary test pilot along with Anca. Sorin appeared to have become the senior instructor and had proven excellent at organization and tactics. The new two-man fighter was much like the old fighters: a closed-in compartment for the pilot sitting on a powerful engine, and multiple weapons hanging off the wings. The differences between the Riss and SAS fighters were the addition of a weapons operator, four small engines rather than one delivering roughly the same maximum thrust, and the new missiles designed to take advantage of the spiders on the JPU-modified cruisers and fighters.
During the fifth and sixth months, four more fighters were delivered, so everyone had an opportunity to fly, operate weapons, or to work on one. Ten more recruits were eliminated, bringing the total to seventy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Freeland: Six months and counting
I sat in the conference room the Ja'Tuva clan had dedicated to me. With me were Ni'Shay, Terril, Sorin, Anca, JPU upgrades project manager Liviu, Riss fighters project manager Ilinca, and the three Riss responsible for software. Named after Celtic goddesses, sister r-Bean was responsible for the chips in stealth coatings, r-Badb for system spiders, and r-Nemain for fighter software.
"I've asked you all here for an update. The Mnemosyne sent a tight-beam signal yesterday, giving her position seven days from now. At that time, I will give her new instructions based on your assessments of our readiness," I said, looking around the room at each individual. "Liviu?"
"We remain on Admiral Neifeh's schedule. We could do better, but we pretend we are having trouble meeting the current schedule, as you asked. We have camouflaged some four hundred and ten fighters, ten per upgraded cruiser. Specifically, thirty-six Lights and five Heavies. And we have stealth-coated five Light cruisers. They are testing them right now." He smiled. "All of those ships have multiple chips embedded in the stealth-material.
"r-Bean?"
**At the right frequency and accompanied by the correct string of digits, they emit a coded string detailing their unique identification,** her voice box said in response to her signing.
"Ilinca?"
"We have produced two simulators and six fighters to date. Thanks to Sorin and Anca, I think most of the problems have been resolved. We haven't been able to test the new missiles yet. We will have six additional fighters completed four months from now."
"r-Nemain?"
**The new missile software can lock on the new chip's signal for any selected identification group.**
"r-Badb?"
**The spiders are in every installed panel and Dragonfly. Every Riss serving on a JPU ship knows the codes to invoke the Spiders capable of entering the system software and shutting down the ship.**
"Terril?"
"I've eliminated almost one hundred candidates, but I believe the eighty-two remaining will produce fifty...reasonably good troops within your ten-month
One flight simulator was delivered during the second month, and everyone was tested to determine their reflexes, judgment, and interest. Surprisingly, not everyone wanted to be a pilot. Many of the candidates came to realize that doing maintenance on the fighters or operating the weapons would be more interesting. The simulator proved helpful in identifying those who might want to be pilots but who would never qualify, as well as in helping people realize flying a fighter wasn't as glamorous as it sounded.
By the end of the third month, Anca and Sorin, who had evolved into the senior instructors due to Iosif's lack of interest, had given everyone their assignments, and the classrooms for pilots, weapons operators, and mechanics became separate. Most were comfortable with their assigned positions—those who weren't left. That brought the number of remaining candidates to eighty, twenty of whom were women, more or less equally split between the three positions.
During the fourth month, two fighter prototypes were delivered. Iosif became the primary test pilot along with Anca. Sorin appeared to have become the senior instructor and had proven excellent at organization and tactics. The new two-man fighter was much like the old fighters: a closed-in compartment for the pilot sitting on a powerful engine, and multiple weapons hanging off the wings. The differences between the Riss and SAS fighters were the addition of a weapons operator, four small engines rather than one delivering roughly the same maximum thrust, and the new missiles designed to take advantage of the spiders on the JPU-modified cruisers and fighters.
During the fifth and sixth months, four more fighters were delivered, so everyone had an opportunity to fly, operate weapons, or to work on one. Ten more recruits were eliminated, bringing the total to seventy.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Freeland: Six months and counting
I sat in the conference room the Ja'Tuva clan had dedicated to me. With me were Ni'Shay, Terril, Sorin, Anca, JPU upgrades project manager Liviu, Riss fighters project manager Ilinca, and the three Riss responsible for software. Named after Celtic goddesses, sister r-Bean was responsible for the chips in stealth coatings, r-Badb for system spiders, and r-Nemain for fighter software.
"I've asked you all here for an update. The Mnemosyne sent a tight-beam signal yesterday, giving her position seven days from now. At that time, I will give her new instructions based on your assessments of our readiness," I said, looking around the room at each individual. "Liviu?"
"We remain on Admiral Neifeh's schedule. We could do better, but we pretend we are having trouble meeting the current schedule, as you asked. We have camouflaged some four hundred and ten fighters, ten per upgraded cruiser. Specifically, thirty-six Lights and five Heavies. And we have stealth-coated five Light cruisers. They are testing them right now." He smiled. "All of those ships have multiple chips embedded in the stealth-material.
"r-Bean?"
**At the right frequency and accompanied by the correct string of digits, they emit a coded string detailing their unique identification,** her voice box said in response to her signing.
"Ilinca?"
"We have produced two simulators and six fighters to date. Thanks to Sorin and Anca, I think most of the problems have been resolved. We haven't been able to test the new missiles yet. We will have six additional fighters completed four months from now."
"r-Nemain?"
**The new missile software can lock on the new chip's signal for any selected identification group.**
"r-Badb?"
**The spiders are in every installed panel and Dragonfly. Every Riss serving on a JPU ship knows the codes to invoke the Spiders capable of entering the system software and shutting down the ship.**
"Terril?"
"I've eliminated almost one hundred candidates, but I believe the eighty-two remaining will produce fifty...reasonably good troops within your ten-month
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