Beyond the Event Horizon by Albert Sartison

Author:Albert Sartison
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: aliens, first contact, alien invasion, solar system, extraterrestrial contact, terraforming, colonization of space

6

After dealing with the pirates and picking up the communication satellite, the drones drew apart from each other to take up the standard formation and set course to catch up with the expedition ship. By adopting this formation, they minimised the possibility of both of them being destroyed simultaneously in the event of a sudden attack.

A few hours later, they were back in the cargo compartment of their base ship, and the maintenance robots checked their serviceability. Like any other weapon, the drones needed servicing after every use in combat. Once the serviceability of all their systems had been checked, they were again ready to defend their space base against uninvited guests, as the ship’s computer told the captain without delay.

“I never thought it would be such child’s play for the drones to deal with two ships,” said Steve after hearing the report that the drones were ready again. During the time since the attack, he had managed to get some rest and get his thoughts together.

“Well, if the pirates had known that pilotless spacecraft like those were hunting them, it wouldn’t have been so easy,” replied Kimble.

“How could they have known? I thought it was impossible to spot them.”

“Not everything is as simple as it seems from the outside. Our drones belong to the latest generation the army has. Older models would have been hard put to cope with two ships without loss.”

“And here’s something I’ve never understood. If pirates are doing such damage to the economy, why doesn’t every ship have such things?” asked Steve, pointing to the display showing the two drones.

The Captain laughed.

“How do you think the pirates get their weapons?”

“I don’t know. I suppose they buy them.”

“OK. And where do their suppliers get them?”

“I... I don’t know. All right, where do they get them?”

“You can’t build sophisticated modern weapons in a garage. You need a whole chain of factories with high-technology equipment and special materials, and they cost a lot. The pirates mostly use captured weapons. Black market workshops sell a few, but the lion’s share consists of captured weapons.

“If every commercial ship were equipped with toys like ours, in less than a year the pirates would have them too. And then the problems we have today would seem like child’s play.”

“But how could they seize a ship if it were protected by things like these?”

Kimble smiled condescendingly.

“Because metal is just metal, even if it is as advanced as our drones. And man being what he is, he will always find a loophole, a weak point in any weapon, and that’s where he’ll strike. The people are the main thing, the weapons are secondary.”

“Do you mean to say that when you were in the SSS, you could seize any weapons system?”

“If we were given the task, yes, we could. It’s only a matter of the price I am willing to pay and the training of the personnel. The art of war is the art of deception; it’s not beating your head against a brick wall.”

A trace of scepticism could be seen in Steve’s eyes.

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