Omega Force: The Enemy Within (OF4) by Joshua Dalzelle
Author:Joshua Dalzelle [Dalzelle, Joshua]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2014-02-08T16:00:00+00:00
Chapter 15
Jason was on the bridge alone during ânight hoursâ while the rest of the crew slept, sitting at one of the side stations and puzzling over a way to defeat the ConFed detection apparatus theyâd erected around RU933. Heâd come at the problem a few different ways, but the result was always the same: the Phoenix wouldnât be able to get close enough to the Diligent to make the extraction without the defending ships being alerted and engaging them. If the intel was accurate, the defense force around the planet was light, but would still cause major problems for a single gunship trying to sneak in.
He toyed with the idea of trying to mesh-in beyond the boundary of the detection network, but a few computer simulations later he abandoned the idea. Attempting to come out of slip-space so close to such a large gravity well was borderline suicidal. The results could be anything as mundane as popping out near the planetâs core to the more exotic, like being extruded back into the universe in a stream of disassociated molecules. At least either would be painless, but not especially helpful.
âI see you have not made significant progress on the problem, Captain.â Jason didnât jump, but his muscles clenched up in surprise at the voice.
âHow the hell did you sneak up on me, Lucky?â
âIt was not difficult. You are completely distracted by your simulations,â Lucky said. Jason looked up and the battlesynth was standing stock still, had no discernible facial expressions, yet he looked like he had more to say. The fact that he could now read the synthâs body language spoke to how far he, and Lucky himself, had come in recent years.
âThere was more?â he asked.
âI may have a solution to the problem, but it is neither easy nor safe,â Lucky said after a moment of hesitation.
âGo on.â
âYour idea of drifting the ship through the grid is the right approach, but the wrong execution,â Lucky said. âThe Phoenix will always end up being caught because it simply has too much mass. But, I donât. And neither do you when youâre encased in your armor.â Jason swallowed hard at the implications, but pressed ahead.
âThe fact youâre approaching me about this tells me youâve already thought this out to the last, tiny detail,â Jason said. âYouâve done this before?â
âMany times,â Lucky affirmed. âI was once in a cadre of other battlesynths who took part in specialized raids. We would drift through open space for weeks at a time in order to execute an unexpected attack against orbital facilities or even other ships.â
âThere were a group of you that did this?â Jason shuddered at the thought of being boarded by a group of soldiers like Lucky. Thereâd be no stopping them short of scuttling the ship.
âYes. Ten individuals including myself.â
âHow old are you, Lucky?â
âEighty-four years. Is that relevant in some way?â Lucky asked.
âJust a passing curiosity,â Jason said. âWeâre all still carrying around a lot of baggage from our previous lives. Anyway, go on.
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