Read Online Galactic Alliance 3: Honor Thy Enemy by Doug Farren - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Doug Farren
Tags: Science-Fiction
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ability to make it into Chroniech space in time.”
Doug looked at the tactical display and frowned. He had never been good at computing trajectories in his head and was forced to accept the statement as fact. Doug understood the Captain’s concern. While under FTL drive a ship was immune to weapons fire because it simply did not exist in normal three dimensional space. Gravity, however, transcended all dimensions and has a profound effect on a ship’s stardrive field.
In order to engage a ship in combat it must first be forced out of stardrive. The gravity mine was the device used to do just that. The mine generates a very powerful, although short-lived, gravitational field. If activated close enough to an operating stardrive the spacetime distortion caused by the gravitational field will collapse the drive fields causing the ship to drop back into normal space.
According to the Kyrra, the Komodo Dragon had to traverse at least a quarter of a light year into Chroniech space before the hyperdimensional field was reestablished or risk being left outside the field’s boundary. Apparently, the exact location of the field could not be accurately predicted. Pushing the Dragon’s stardrive to the max flung them through space at a mind-boggling speed of 11,121 times the speed of light giving them just under twelve minutes to cover the required distance.
“Several Chroniech ships are heading directly toward Alliance space at high speed,” Commander Tobunga reported from CIC. “They appear to be ignoring us.”
The bridge was silent. All eyes watched the main display as the time ticked down and the distance ticked up. There was a release of tension when the distance indicated exactly 0.250. A short time later the timer hit 0.00.
Ken felt a sickening lurch as the drive fields surrounding the ship suddenly collapsed violently throwing the cruiser back into normal space. His insides felt like somebody had twisted them into a tight knot then quickly let go.
Fighting her own nausea, Sheppard ordered, “Helm, reset the drive and get us back underway as soon as engineering can support it.” After glancing at the tactical display she added, “Normal drive initiation Mr. Barnes. As soon as we have a navigational fix on our location set a course for the rendezvous coordinates making any necessary adjustments to avoid contact with the Chroniech.”
“Aye ma’am,” the helm replied in a somewhat shaky voice as he turned to his console. A few minutes later the Dragon was underway again.
Ken turned to Doug noting with satisfaction that the Commodore looked as bad as he felt. The nausea had mostly passed leaving a splitting headache behind. “That thoroughly sucked,” he remarked. “I wish we had been told to expect that.”
Doug swallowed with a visible effort then replied, “I agree. Unfortunately, we don’t know all there is to know about hyperdimensional fields and the effect they have on spacetime.”
Sheppard stood up and stretched. She had not left the bridge since arriving at the edge of the barrier. “Well, we’re here. Cut off from the Alliance in enemy territory. I hope the Kyrra know what they’re doing.”
Doug rubbed his temple hoping to make the headache go away. “Let’s hope the Kyrra made it into Alliance space. They are the ones I think will matter the most.”
“The Kyrra, and no Chroniech,” Captain Sheppard agreed sinking back into the command chair.
She pressed a button on her console and paused as the ship’s announcing system emitted an attention-getting tone. “All hands, this is the Captain. We have successfully entered Chroniech space. At this time there are no enemy ships capable of intercepting us within our detector range. Stand down from general quarters. Maintain the ship at alert status.”
A Problem Arrives
Fleet Commander Chomach tey Tantaga floated God-like above a gigantic three dimensional representation of space. In actuality, he was seated at his command console
Doug looked at the tactical display and frowned. He had never been good at computing trajectories in his head and was forced to accept the statement as fact. Doug understood the Captain’s concern. While under FTL drive a ship was immune to weapons fire because it simply did not exist in normal three dimensional space. Gravity, however, transcended all dimensions and has a profound effect on a ship’s stardrive field.
In order to engage a ship in combat it must first be forced out of stardrive. The gravity mine was the device used to do just that. The mine generates a very powerful, although short-lived, gravitational field. If activated close enough to an operating stardrive the spacetime distortion caused by the gravitational field will collapse the drive fields causing the ship to drop back into normal space.
According to the Kyrra, the Komodo Dragon had to traverse at least a quarter of a light year into Chroniech space before the hyperdimensional field was reestablished or risk being left outside the field’s boundary. Apparently, the exact location of the field could not be accurately predicted. Pushing the Dragon’s stardrive to the max flung them through space at a mind-boggling speed of 11,121 times the speed of light giving them just under twelve minutes to cover the required distance.
“Several Chroniech ships are heading directly toward Alliance space at high speed,” Commander Tobunga reported from CIC. “They appear to be ignoring us.”
The bridge was silent. All eyes watched the main display as the time ticked down and the distance ticked up. There was a release of tension when the distance indicated exactly 0.250. A short time later the timer hit 0.00.
Ken felt a sickening lurch as the drive fields surrounding the ship suddenly collapsed violently throwing the cruiser back into normal space. His insides felt like somebody had twisted them into a tight knot then quickly let go.
Fighting her own nausea, Sheppard ordered, “Helm, reset the drive and get us back underway as soon as engineering can support it.” After glancing at the tactical display she added, “Normal drive initiation Mr. Barnes. As soon as we have a navigational fix on our location set a course for the rendezvous coordinates making any necessary adjustments to avoid contact with the Chroniech.”
“Aye ma’am,” the helm replied in a somewhat shaky voice as he turned to his console. A few minutes later the Dragon was underway again.
Ken turned to Doug noting with satisfaction that the Commodore looked as bad as he felt. The nausea had mostly passed leaving a splitting headache behind. “That thoroughly sucked,” he remarked. “I wish we had been told to expect that.”
Doug swallowed with a visible effort then replied, “I agree. Unfortunately, we don’t know all there is to know about hyperdimensional fields and the effect they have on spacetime.”
Sheppard stood up and stretched. She had not left the bridge since arriving at the edge of the barrier. “Well, we’re here. Cut off from the Alliance in enemy territory. I hope the Kyrra know what they’re doing.”
Doug rubbed his temple hoping to make the headache go away. “Let’s hope the Kyrra made it into Alliance space. They are the ones I think will matter the most.”
“The Kyrra, and no Chroniech,” Captain Sheppard agreed sinking back into the command chair.
She pressed a button on her console and paused as the ship’s announcing system emitted an attention-getting tone. “All hands, this is the Captain. We have successfully entered Chroniech space. At this time there are no enemy ships capable of intercepting us within our detector range. Stand down from general quarters. Maintain the ship at alert status.”
A Problem Arrives
Fleet Commander Chomach tey Tantaga floated God-like above a gigantic three dimensional representation of space. In actuality, he was seated at his command console
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