Read Online The Inception: The Augmented Human Rebellion - Book 1 by Terry Lefler - Free Book Online
Authors: Terry Lefler
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or lost their ‘bet’.
Captain Nemo congratulates Danion and the final event is scheduled for
the next evening. The Captain is heartened to observe Danion’s ‘children’
- Darius, and Delphi - as they press in close to their ‘father’ in the ‘mind
link’ – apparently in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) version of a ‘hug’.
***
Captain Nemo doesn’t take defeat very well. He spends the time
between simulated battles conjuring up new strategies and tactics. Danion
has some inherent advantages, which Captain Nemo must mitigate. For one,
the AI never gets tired. Danion could easily keep the battle going until
the human opponent falls asleep.
For another, Danion has a clear advantage when the vessels are within
energy weapons range. That is what caused the Captain’s defeat in the
previous game. But neither can Captain Nemo allow the battle to stay at
long distances, because Danion can outlast him.
Captain Nemo needs some tricky advantage in order to surprise the
AI. He runs through various scenarios, in his mind, but can’t think of
anything that will give him the advantage ‘in close’. Then, as the time
for the game draws near, the Captain has an ‘Ah-Ha moment’.
***
It is time, for the final game in the ‘best 2 out of 3’ matchup between
Captain Nemo and his Artificial Intelligence friend, Danion. The winner
will have ‘bragging rights’ for some time to come – and respect from the crews
of the Augmented Human fleet. Both participants covet that respect.
The simulator has chosen an initial starting distance, which is in the
mid-range for a typical space battle. The ships emerge from Faster Than
Light (FTL) space with a separation of 3,000,000 klicks.
Both vessels immediately initiate laser canon fire in the hopes of
damaging the opponent’s vessel, before it has completely emerged.
That didn’t happen, because the simulator has given them identical
vessels, and has made sure that the starting distance was far enough apart, so
that there would be time to raise the shields, before missiles could
arrive. Both vessels suffer a little cosmetic damage from the lasers, but
nothing more.
After that, there is the usual ‘feeling out’ of the opponent, and the
search for a weakness. This process is routine for the two ‘Captains’,
and results in an even match after 3 hours of play.
Captain Nemo knows that he can’t let the match go much longer, because he
will wear down and Danion will not. He must force the battle to end
quickly or he will lose. He makes his move.
Danion is surprised to see the Captain closing the distance between the
two vessels. Danion has a advantage ‘close in’, which won him the victory
in the previous game. Danion has a feeling of foreboding, because he knows that
the Captain must have a ‘new trick up his sleeve’.
The game proceeds along the lines of the last game, causing Danion’s
premonition of ill tidings to be reinforced – Captain Nemo has a surprise for
Danion, and Danion knows that it won’t be a pleasant surprise.
They are in close again and the vessels are assaulting each other with
energy weapons in an effort to wear down the shields, in a critical area.
Each vessel is targeting the Engineering section and the vessels are evenly
matched.
Then Captain Nemo uses his ‘trick’. He begins to rotate his vessel,
while still targeting Danion’s Engineering section.
It takes a few moments before Danion figures out what the Captain is
trying to do. Rotating the vessel will spread the energy weapons’ heat
over different parts of the hull. That will enable the shields, in the
Engineering section, to recover.
That realization comes too late, because Captain Nemo waited to use the
trick until right before his and Danions shields, in the Engineering sections,
were about to fail.
By the time Danion realizes his predicament, his shields have failed, and
a hull breach has opened. Captain Nemo stops his ships rotation, moves in
closer, and locks on
Captain Nemo congratulates Danion and the final event is scheduled for
the next evening. The Captain is heartened to observe Danion’s ‘children’
- Darius, and Delphi - as they press in close to their ‘father’ in the ‘mind
link’ – apparently in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) version of a ‘hug’.
***
Captain Nemo doesn’t take defeat very well. He spends the time
between simulated battles conjuring up new strategies and tactics. Danion
has some inherent advantages, which Captain Nemo must mitigate. For one,
the AI never gets tired. Danion could easily keep the battle going until
the human opponent falls asleep.
For another, Danion has a clear advantage when the vessels are within
energy weapons range. That is what caused the Captain’s defeat in the
previous game. But neither can Captain Nemo allow the battle to stay at
long distances, because Danion can outlast him.
Captain Nemo needs some tricky advantage in order to surprise the
AI. He runs through various scenarios, in his mind, but can’t think of
anything that will give him the advantage ‘in close’. Then, as the time
for the game draws near, the Captain has an ‘Ah-Ha moment’.
***
It is time, for the final game in the ‘best 2 out of 3’ matchup between
Captain Nemo and his Artificial Intelligence friend, Danion. The winner
will have ‘bragging rights’ for some time to come – and respect from the crews
of the Augmented Human fleet. Both participants covet that respect.
The simulator has chosen an initial starting distance, which is in the
mid-range for a typical space battle. The ships emerge from Faster Than
Light (FTL) space with a separation of 3,000,000 klicks.
Both vessels immediately initiate laser canon fire in the hopes of
damaging the opponent’s vessel, before it has completely emerged.
That didn’t happen, because the simulator has given them identical
vessels, and has made sure that the starting distance was far enough apart, so
that there would be time to raise the shields, before missiles could
arrive. Both vessels suffer a little cosmetic damage from the lasers, but
nothing more.
After that, there is the usual ‘feeling out’ of the opponent, and the
search for a weakness. This process is routine for the two ‘Captains’,
and results in an even match after 3 hours of play.
Captain Nemo knows that he can’t let the match go much longer, because he
will wear down and Danion will not. He must force the battle to end
quickly or he will lose. He makes his move.
Danion is surprised to see the Captain closing the distance between the
two vessels. Danion has a advantage ‘close in’, which won him the victory
in the previous game. Danion has a feeling of foreboding, because he knows that
the Captain must have a ‘new trick up his sleeve’.
The game proceeds along the lines of the last game, causing Danion’s
premonition of ill tidings to be reinforced – Captain Nemo has a surprise for
Danion, and Danion knows that it won’t be a pleasant surprise.
They are in close again and the vessels are assaulting each other with
energy weapons in an effort to wear down the shields, in a critical area.
Each vessel is targeting the Engineering section and the vessels are evenly
matched.
Then Captain Nemo uses his ‘trick’. He begins to rotate his vessel,
while still targeting Danion’s Engineering section.
It takes a few moments before Danion figures out what the Captain is
trying to do. Rotating the vessel will spread the energy weapons’ heat
over different parts of the hull. That will enable the shields, in the
Engineering section, to recover.
That realization comes too late, because Captain Nemo waited to use the
trick until right before his and Danions shields, in the Engineering sections,
were about to fail.
By the time Danion realizes his predicament, his shields have failed, and
a hull breach has opened. Captain Nemo stops his ships rotation, moves in
closer, and locks on
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