Resolve (The Lost Warship Book 5) by Daniel Gibbs

Author:Daniel Gibbs [Gibbs, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2023-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

Arthur Hanson wiped the sweat from his brow before it could fall onto the circuit board below him. It was cobbled together from 3D printed parts, spares from the Thatcher’s engineering hold, and hope. He and a small group of enlisted ratings labored away to finish the interface that would let their shuttles remotely fire Starbolt missiles.

The recent battle had disrupted their efforts, as it required all work to cease while they manned battle stations. Hanson was anxious to finish up and test the prototype. He adjusted his micro-plasma torch and fused a wire to an output port. “Okay, rerun the test.”

“Yes, sir,” replied a young private, who couldn’t have been a day over twenty-one years old.

It was times like that when Hanson started to feel his age. I remember when I was that wet behind the ears. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

The device spun up, made an electrical whine, then a loud pop echoed. Smoke shot out of a chip on the board, but worst of all, the clamp it went to didn’t release.

Hanson sighed and shoved back from the workspace. He really wanted to smash a spanner into the entire works. “Why is this so hard?” It was a rhetorical question, but several ratings stopped to stare.

“The programming logic doesn’t seem to be triggering, sir,” another private said from her workstation.

“Then let’s wipe it and start over.” Hanson glanced at the half-melted control chip. “And get me another RN-361.”

“Maybe we should take a break, sir?”

Hanson glanced at the chronometer mounted on the wall with its digital readout. We’ve been hammering for the last nine hours. She’s right. A break would do everyone good. “Yeah. Let’s do it. Take thirty minutes, get a bite to eat, then we’ll meet back—”

“Savchenko to Hanson.”

“What can I do for you, sir?” Hanson brought the handcomm to his lips.

“Start with a status report on my shuttle bombers. We need that finished yesterday, Major.”

“Understood, sir, still having issues.”

There was a pause on the commlink before Savchenko snarled. “Hanson, listen to me carefully. Twelve Zeivlots bought the farm because they had engine trouble and, thanks to EMCON, didn’t tell us what was happening. Two mining ships are down, and I don’t have time for technical difficulties. You engineers are always talking about how awesome technology is… solve the problem, now.”

“Sir, this is delicate—”

“No excuses, Major. Get it done. Are we clear?”

Hanson licked his lips, his first instinct to snap back, but he shoved it down. “Crystal, sir.”

“Good. You’ve got four hours. Savchenko out.”

The colonel’s method grated on Hanson’s nerves. But he recognized he was comparing it to how David did things. The General likes to build consensus. While Savchenko… he’s more about brute force. Intellectually, he knew both approaches were valid, and ultimately, it didn’t matter. Savchenko was in command, and Hanson, like most every other soldier in the CDF, respected and followed orders.

“No break, sir?”

Hanson turned to the private. “That’d be a negative. But… call the mess and have them bring something down for us.

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