We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

Book 2: Chapter 66: It’s Happening

Book 2: Chapter 66: It’s Happening

Bill

January 2208

Epsilon Eridani

[Others convoy detected]

Not good. This was probably it. The Others would be heading for Gamma Pavonis to strip it down, leaving a dead planet and an empty system.

“Okay, Guppy. Details?”

[Convoy is twice the size of the GL 54 convoy. Projected destination is Delta Pavonis]

Delta Pavonis? That can’t be right. “Confirm that, please, Guppy.”

[Convoy trajectory is pointed directly at Delta Pavonis. Barring an unexpected course correction, certainty is 100%]

“Son of a bitch. The Pav.” I sent a quick email to Jacques in Delta Pavonis and Claude in Gamma Pavonis, explaining the situation. I followed up with messages to Oliver and Mario. Everyone else would get the announcement on the Current Events RSS feed.

Within seconds, several people popped into my VR.

“This is not according to plan,” Claude said.

Jacques shrugged. “I mentioned this possibility at a moot a while back. Delta is a richer target. A couple of extra years may be a small price to pay for double the payoff. And they know it, seeing the size of the convoy they’re sending.”

“Any chance that’s because of us?”

“Not a chance, Claude,” I said. “They don’t know we’re in that system in the first place. And anyway, it’s not like we’ve done more than buzz around them like a gnat. We are irrelevant.”

“And we will be assimilated.” Oliver gave us a lopsided grin. We all chuckled dutifully, at the attempt at levity more than anything.

“Getting down to business, how is our troop buildup?” I looked at each person in turn.

Jacques spoke first. “I’ve got twenty dreadnaughts, each of which has five fission bombs and the usual complement of busters for defense. I’ve been working on some fusion bombs, but haven’t gotten them far enough along. And now we’re out of time.”

Claude jumped in as soon as Jacques was done. “I’ve got fifteen dreadnaughts, but I’ve managed to make a total of six fusion bombs to replace some of the fission weapons.”

I looked at Oliver, who shrugged. “I’m building like crazy, old man, but I’m too far away to do any good. I’ll send out what I have, and maybe they’ll be useful for when the Others hit Gamma. Assuming they go there next.”

I looked around at everyone, then shook my head. “Another year or two, and we’d have had the cloaking cracked. I’m sure of it. As it is, do what you can. We’ll have a moot over the next couple of days, but other than moral support, you guys are on your own.”

* * *

The moot was held within a day. It was a somber affair. When I ascended the podium, all conversation ceased. No air horn, no boos. A sea of faces looked back at me, all wearing the same downcast expression.

“You all know the situation. Anyone have any ideas?”

“I don’t suppose your asteroid mover could move Pav…”

I looked at Thor. It probably hadn’t been a serious suggestion. “Sorry, buddy. In theory, the system can move anything, but right now I’d have trouble getting something the size of a planet to budge. Maybe someday…”

“If we don’t mind the inhabitants freezing to death about mid-way through the move.”

I nodded at Ben, one of the new batch of dreadnaughts. “True. The trip would still take a year or two subjective, and all that time spent without a sun. No bueno for sure. I think we’re stuck with the situation as it is. It’s going to come down to a toe-to-toe punch-up, and unfortunately before we’re ready. The only advantage we have is that we know it’s going to happen and they don’t.” ???????

* * *

I looked over my reports. Claude had launched all of his new dreadnaughts to Delta Pavonis. With their better acceleration, they’d arrive before the Others, but only just barely. Any strategies would have to be worked out while they were in transit.

Between Claude’s group and Jacques’, we had thirty-five dreadnaughts. Jacques would probably get that total up to about sixty by the time Claude’s group arrived. It sounded like a lot until you looked at the size of the Others’ force. Twenty death asteroids, forty cargo vessels, and several hundred attendants. The attendants could be considered equivalent to busters. They were almost certainly AMI-controlled, and could be depended upon to ram an enemy if required. The cargo vessels would be difficult to destroy simply because of their size, but I didn’t expect a lot of offensive capability there.

The death asteroids would be the big unknown. We were pretty confident that we could withstand their death-rays, but we really didn’t know what other weaponry they might have in reserve. It was a safe bet that the Others had thought of the possibility of running into another species capable of fighting back.

I mentioned this to Garfield, and was surprised when he didn’t agree with me.

“I think we’ve visited pretty much every system that the Others have been to, Bill.” He waved a hand casually at the star map he’d popped up. “And they haven’t run into anything like that. So they’ve never had their butts kicked. Even when we’ve run up against them, the worst we’ve done is blow ourselves up. They’re arrogant. Borg-level arrogant and maybe even beyond. We’re not even assimilation targets to them, we’re just food.”

I thought about this. “So you think they may be overconfident.” I grinned. “Or maybe just appropriately confident.”

Garfield responded with a rueful chuckle. “Yeah, whatever. The point is, though, they may not have a plan B.”