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was managed via the onboard AI. That’s not to say all pilots simply sat back and let the advanced computer do the fighting for them. What Jason had come to understand was this was a melding of man and technology that was almost supernatural — the way one would anticipate the actions of the other. Jason had come to learn that not all AIs were the same. This Pacesetter ’s artificial intelligence had seemed to become one with his own thoughts … his own intent.
    “Incoming!”
    Jason saw the crisscrossing vector lines on the display—each constantly altering to the relative positions of the three enemy crafts, each of which had fired off two fusion micro-missiles. He searched his mind for a solution and quickly came to the realization it wasn’t a part of any past HyperLearning session.
    “Any suggestions, AI?”
    Jason reflexively jerked back in his seat as one of the Caldurian fighters crossed mere yards in front of the canopy. “You ballsy shit!” Jason said aloud. He banked right in pursuit of the fighter as his fingers moved to the trigger. The Pacesetter ’s primary plasma gun came alive with rapid-fire bolts of energy. The virtual display showed he was actually gaining on the smaller craft … but it also showed he now had six micro-missiles quickly closing in on his ass. He pulled the stick back and then to the right and felt the crushing G-forces against his chest as the Pacesetter initiated a backwards loop. “You’re going to have to do a better job compensating for those Gs, AI.”
    “Yes, Captain. I’ve already modified settings.”
    Jason pulled up a new menu on his HUD and made a quick scan of his available munitions. “Ah … there we go. Old school.” He deployed the rail gun and selected rail gun munitions, with tracking explosive rounds.
    The trick was to instigate enough quick maneuvers to get in behind the missiles, while still evading the three fighters. They were firing their own plasma weapons now and over the past thirty seconds Jason saw that his shields were dropping—fast.
    “Shields are at twenty percent, Captain.”
    “Yep … see that.”
    He rolled the Pacesetter into a forward roll, and then back out into a backward figure eight. The superior speed of the Pacesetter put her in behind two of the Caldurian fighters and he let loose with the rail gun. In a flash, both fighters exploded, leaving fragments behind no larger than a pencil’s eraser.
    He banked and banked again. He saw the six missiles out through his canopy, moving in the opposite direction. He didn’t need to get in behind them. As she’d done many times before, the AI was anticipating his commands.
    “Acquiring lock.”
    The Pacesetter ’s turret-mounted rail gun spun, firing backward at close to a forty-five degree angle in the direction of the now-tightly-clustered grouping of missiles. Out of visual sight, Jason watched as the missile icons faded away, one by one, on the virtual display. Unfortunately, within that same fraction of a second, the one remaining Caldurian fighter was upon him. Close range plasma fire took the Pacesetter ’s shields down to five percent … two … zero.
    “You have been destroyed. Simulation complete,” the AI said, without a trace of sympathy. Jason let out a deep breath, allowing the tension in his shoulders to unwind. He was being hailed.
    “Go for Captain.”
    “So if you’re done fucking around, you might want to get your ass back here … we’re all waiting for you.”
    “Aye, Admiral. I’m on my way.”

Chapter 10
     
     
     
    Jason entered the admiral’s ready room and took a seat in the one remaining chair at the far end of the table. With a quick glance around the room, he nodded to the others. The admiral was seated directly across from him, at the other end of the table; to his right was his brother, Brian; next to him was Perkins, then Bristol, Billy, Gunny, and the Caldurian, Granger. On the other side of the table was young Captain Curtis Pollard,