The Battle Dreadnought Aurora, RD05. [Nov2013]

I had never slept before so waking up was a new experience. I usually like new experiences but this one sucked! Power was minimal on my systems. In fact, only my central core was getting power and only via the emergency power conduit that connected to the Bridge hull. Well, that probably meant that my hull was getting energy and probably from the local sun.

If that was the case then my whole hull should have a one percent charge. I activated the energy transfer coupling between the Bridge hull and the rest of my body. Oh my, that was better. Some more power started flowing in. I activated my slave systems, some of which powered up while some did not. One that did was my primary memory core. Memories came flooding in.

I checked my last log entry. I had been trapped in an unknown energy absorption field within an asteroid belt. It had drained my power systems so damn fast I didn’t have time to react. I had ordered my precious crew to abandon me just as fast as they could. Their life force was being slowly drained as well. I know they had all made it to the primary deck. Great Dragons and their Riders, Warriors and Builders.

The Telepathic sendings of the Builders had been indignant as Warriors had simply scooped them up and ran to the waiting Great Dragons. Builders did not really like being touched let alone scooped up and cradled protectively. They preferred moving at their own sedate pace of one hundred meters per hour. That was Warriors for you. Two and a half meters of raw feline power. Awesome in combat and yet so gentle, caring and protective of others, well, as long as you were not stupid enough to shoot at one of them. That was usually a terminal decision for any member of any species.

I activated a camera on the Primary Deck. There were no remains so I could assume that the Great Dragons had managed to Transfer everyone to a safe place. That was a relief. The last thing any sentient ship wanted was to lose crew members. Horrible thought. My two backup Personality Cores were missing so obviously I had lived past this emergency. Interesting thought, I was possibly still alive somewhere else. That was likely to give me a headache so to speak, so I put the thought away to think about later.

I tried to activate my Bridge auto repair drones. Two out of ten responded and one of those was limping. I set them both the task of checking each other and then repairing the others in their team. I flagged time as a critical factor and left them to it.

I had a small reserve charge for my central core, enough for a day or two. I directed the remainder of the available energy reserves to the Bridge Energy Conversion Generator. It was one of twenty five Generators that converted matter directly to energy. If I could get one working I could start the others a few at a time in a standard start up cascade. I really wanted some real power to deal with this situation. The Bridge one was the closest and the one that directly fed my Bridge systems.

It went to twelve percent immediately and then increased painfully slowly. I could do an emergency restart at twelve percent but twenty percent was the accepted safe point. Every external hull camera was inoperative. Right now Aliens could be trying to cut through my hull and I would not be aware of it. I started thinking of the First Imperative. ‘Do not allow any species access to yourself, your hull or your systems, ever!’

Why were all of my cameras out, was it deliberate? Scary thought! I mentally tabbed the startup sequence, twelve percent was twelve percent. Minimum was ten. I was over that. If it fouled up and lost its force field I would not know about it! Matter conversion explosions were quite devastating. The cycle went through without a problem and I ramped the power up to maximum. I fed the output to two others and watched as they powered up. In all, eighteen fired up, the rest showed a status of inoperative.

I activated all of the repair drones ship wide. There were one hundred overall, twenty six responded. I set them to repair their inoperative brethren. The two on the Bridge reported six now active and the other four as unable to be repaired. They had cannibalized the four to get six working. OK, I could live with that. I set them to repair my secondary bridge systems.

One of the Bridge drones was working on my remote shells. It was cannibalizing two of them while repairing the other three. I watched it work. Some Riders had a fit when watching them. It was caused by a condition known as arachnophobia. Well, repair drones looked exactly like spiders, just bigger, much bigger. The first of my remote shells came on line. The robotic cat was one of my defense units and as such was huge.

Now if I could get it outside of my hull, I could use its scanners. Nothing long range, but even basic vision was better than what I had now which was absolutely nothing. I sent it out once I found an operative air lock. Once it was on my external surface I transferred my awareness to it.

(Continued)

Well, that was better. Three active Star Ships in the vicinity. Big ships too! Not up to my bulk but not may were. You needed my bulk to accommodate Great Dragons. They were moving trapped ships out of the energy absorption field. I activated the shells communication systems and was immediately flooded with telepathic signals originating in the three Star Ships. There was a fourth series of signals coming from within the field. They were trying to execute a rescue!

More importantly they were succeeding albeit slowly. The telepathic signals from the trapped ship were strained. They did not have much time left. The rescue was slow because of the methodology being used. They were actually towing the ships out via tow lines. Were they that far down in development or was it a necessity of dealing with the field.

That question was answered as a ship cleared the field. One of the three Star Ships moved in and used a tractor beam to haul the ship out and park it. Now I understood. They were moving ships out of the way before they could attach a tow line to their trapped ship. Very slow work and yet successful. One of the Star Ships fired missiles with tow lines attached. Ancient technology but it was working. The missile took its time eventually completing a one hundred and eighty degree turn to come out of the field near where it had entered.

The slack from the tow line was taken in and terribly slowly the caught ship, a very small one, was hauled out. Did I say it was slow. I considered the time it would take before they could lasso their own trapped ship. They didn’t have the time. Their trapped ship was big and very deep into the field. It would take an age to move using tow lines, even if as I suspected they would use multiple lines.

I parked my cat shell right up near the front of my hull and used its phaser claws to bite into the hull to keep it in place. Then I returned my awareness to my Bridge. I scanned my subsystems. I had maneuvering drive at sixty three percent. All three faster than light systems inoperative. Navigation screens at thirty three percent. Combat shields at twenty two percent. Weapons marginal and or unknown until test fired. Life support minimal. Crap!

The repair drones were making progress. My long range communication array came on line. Well, I could transmit at least. Receiving was tagged, ‘unable to be repaired.’ I formulated a distress call and aimed the array in the appropriate general direction. The sub space signal I set to a fairly wide aperture.

Distress, distress, distress. This is the Ressalon Dreadnought Aurora Child. Designation RD05. Distress, distress, distress. Damage heavy. I am not in combat. Require assistance. Other unknown Star Ships in the general vicinity. Self destruct systems inoperable. Distress, distress, distress. I am unable to ensure safety of technology. All three primary drive types inoperative. All other systems minimal. Distress, distress, distress.

I set the signal to repeat and set the array to continual movement in a conical pattern. Then I contemplated the rescue unfolding in front of me. Obviously there were sentient lives at stake and just as obviously I had to help if I could. My rescue had been incidental. Never the less a debt of gratitude was owed let alone sentient lives at terminal risk. Well, what else would work? Chemical rockets work and yet there speed decreased due to the field so it sapped kinetic energy. Then I realized that the missiles were small things. So it was possible that the larger the object the faster its velocity was affected.

Ressalon War Ships are fitted with a huge variety of weapons. One of the Imperatives was ‘Only respond with a more powerful version of what is fired at you. Other species must not know what other possibilities exist in weapons and shield development.’ Same applied to drive systems which is why I had three different types to choose from. Of course, right now, all three were inoperable.

Well, if small is better than how about going right back into history. I have rail guns, four of them! I also knew that the absorption field’s generators were on asteroids and I knew what they looked like. I had had some of the answers before I lost the last of my power. I scanned for the installations and started identifying them one by one. I sent three drones each to the rail guns with a request to get at least one of the large ones and one of the small ones operational.

I did a primary diagnostic of all systems. So many systems listed with the same rather silly fault description. Fully half of my systems were ‘corroded’. Corroded? Me! Dreadnought Class Warships did not suffer from ‘corrosion.’ How would I ever live this down! What was I going to say if asked what my problems were. ‘Oh, I am suffering from corrosion.’ No way! I was going to have to work on that one. Damn, how utterly embarrassing. I would rather admit to loving a comet, at least that would be a psyche problem.

I brought my screens and shields on line, activated what weapons may actually work and energized maneuvering drive. I closed on the asteroid field just as the drones reported, ‘Rail guns available, recommend no more than eighty percent power.’ I wondered if they were corroded as well. Crap, corrosion of all things! What would the other ships say?

I locked a target at some distance from the rescue mission, checked and double checked the weapons lock. I redid all the calculations just in case something was ‘corroded.’ Then I fired ten, one hundred kilo projectiles from one of the small rail guns at one tenth light speed. The sixth projectile penetrated and the next four followed though the impact hole. There was a very satisfying secondary explosion as part of the absorption field collapsed. Wicked!


(continued)

I sent another two streams out, aiming at installations either side of the rescue mission. Both exploded satisfactorily. I kept firing at the installations closest to the rescue area. Two streams went close, but not danger close, to the stricken vessel. More explosions as more than half of the field collapsed. One of the three Star Ships darted in, set a tractor beam, and hauled their stricken comrades out of the field, clearing it with ease. The remaining two Star Ships activated transporter beams one after the other obviously taking the injured off. Good for them!

Then with one under tow, they all left very quickly. Well, a little rude possibly but each species has its foibles. A thank you may have been nice. Perhaps they could not bring themselves to contact with a corroded ship!

Just then my short range communication system blared. “This is Christine, Battle Queen Rider. Ship transponding as RD05, identify! Nice try, but RD05 was lost with all remaining hands at the Battle of Fuulmin. I have two full Ressalon Battle Groups closing on your position! State your intentions or face destruction!” Oh Crap! She sounded a little angry and very serious! Lost? What, I died? With all hands? Crap, crap and more crap. It was the first time I regretted that ships could not cry. I failed my crew eventually? Me? Crap!

I transmitted, but with restraint, “This is RD05, Primary Core. I have been trapped in an unknown energy absorption field for an unknown length of time. If my backup cores failed to protect my crew then attack at will. I offer no defense.”

I dropped my shields, disconnected my scanners and waited for the inevitable. Me, failed? I disconnected my comms, internal and external. I did not want to live with that level of failure. It was too much!

After a long time a telepathic voice intruded. It was overlaid with a Great Dragon’s mind. “Two Queen Riders seeking permission to come aboard.” I replied, “If I failed to that extent, please just fire!” The telepathic voice again, “I am Amelia, Healer Queen Rider, permission to come aboard, please. Aurora, please, may I come aboard?” She was a gentle soul and a Healer Queen Rider. I really had no alternative. I sent, “Permission granted.”

They appeared in front of my Core and bowed. The first to speak said, “I am Christine, Battle Queen Rider, Rider of Queen Xanith, currently Commanding the Ressalon Battle Group, Arthurian Legend. My apologies Honored Dreadnought, I thought your transmission was a trap by forces unknown. I erred! It was very insensitive of me. I apologize. I did not have the history immediately available. It took time to retrieve it.”

She continued, “RD05 with both backup cores was lost at the Battle of Fuulmin. The war with the Veeril was in full heat. Two hundred and thirty thousand innocents were fleeing the planet Fuulmin when the Veeril attacked. You, or the ship you became, engaged an entire armada while the innocents fled to safety. When all was lost, with both Cores damaged and systems and shields all but gone, you ordered your crew to abandon. The Bridge Crew refused. With most of your crew Transferred to safety and the entire armada in close range attack you, with the help of the remaining Bridge Crew, sent all of your Conversion Generators to maximum overload, set all remaining energy torpedoes to max power and then you dropped your shields on the Generators. It was an epic discharge of raw conversion energy. You died with your Bridge Crew, taking what remained of the Veeril armada with you. It was the turning point of the Veeril War.”

“Honored Dreadnought, your legacy lives on, your concepts of tactics are still taught to this day. I refuse your request to fire upon you.” I didn’t know what to say! How does one comment on one’s own epitaph. The other rider spoke, “I am Amelia, Healer Queen Rider, Rider of Zulith, etc etc.” Then she sent her awareness into my mind and hugged me! I had never been hugged before, it was nice. She turned my fears to dust before saying, “You are home now, amongst friends. Sorry to have to break this to you but the Battle of Fuulmin occurred over eight thousand years ago, you have slept a very long time.” I was stunned! Eight thousand years is a very long time!

She withdrew her mind and verbally said, “The Star Ships you just helped sent a message before they left. They wanted us to pass on their extreme gratitude for you assistance. With two of our Battle Groups bearing down on them they decided withdrawal was the better part of valor. I am sorry to ask this, but have you run a Core diagnostic since you woke up?” I replied, “No, that subsystem is inoperative, um, due to um, damage due to the effluxion of time.” Queen Rider Amelia chuckled saying, “That is a very apt description, much better than the other word. I do not have a lot of time and I am a Healer. Your Core could suffer a cascade failure at any time. I am sorry, prepare for a Primary Core Transfer!” I did not know what that was. You could not do anything to a Core once it was activated. You could not transfer a whole Core. Could you?

I woke up, again. The experience still sucked! I sent my awareness into my systems. New systems! An entire new hull! Brand new Core! Queen Rider Amelia and Queen Zulith were watching from the bridge. It was Amelia that spoke. She said, “Welcome back. We have several Dreadnought Class Warships always available to cater for hull losses. I had one sent. The Core Transfer was a complete success. You have been assigned to my battle group. If you have needs simply ask.”

She smiled saying, “Welcome back Aurora!”

reply to post by pheonix358


Damn...

This was just awesome, I have a new favorite story .

Seriously, i have been waiting for a long time for a new saga of awesome books to read. Sounds like you have an awesome world and amazing characters in mind. So please, write the books and I and many more will buy them.

Again, awesome work.

The Rat.

reply to post by TucoTheRat


Thanks, glad you liked it.

P

Good job! Extremely creative and pulls the reader in.

reply to post by westcoast


Thank you. Good to hear you liked it.

P

reply to post by pheonix358

Very well written and very much enjoyed! The story reminded me of "The Ship Who Sang" by Anne McCaffrey one of my favorite from the 60s.

S&F

reply to post by pheonix358


LOVED YOUR NARRATIVE.

When can we expect more of it?

Great sci-fi. I'd pay for it.

Thanks for the treat.

BO XIAN
reply to post by pheonix358

 

LOVED YOUR NARRATIVE.

When can we expect more of it?

You could try my E-book, it is the first in the series or you can wait for a tiny bit longer, I am doing a third one now. It is set in the same reality as is my E-book. Check out my other story www.abovetopsecret.com...

P

reply to post by pheonix358


Do you have a link to your E-book? Is there a Kindle version?

Title?

Blessings,

reply to post by BO XIAN


The link is in my signature.

www.amazon.com...

Yes, it is on Kindle.

Thanks for the interest. In fact if you have read my two short stories (third one on the way) then Wolves Den should be a little more interesting because you may have a better idea of where it goes in Book 2. Nothing like having the inside straight.

P

reply to post by pheonix358


Enjoyed reading this one. Someone knows their sci-fi.

S&F.

reply to post by pheonix358


THX THX.

Had trouble getting it on my Kindle Fire but have it on both Kindles now. Beginning was great. Looking forward to the rest of it.

reply to post by BO XIAN


Thank you, my third and final story for the contest is up

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Just a bit of fun! Another ship story!

P

reply to post by pheonix358


LOL

Thx for the link.

However,

LOOK, DEAR HEART,

Your book has me up past my normal return for my 2nd sleep jump.

I'm not about to be captured by 2 of your stories at the same time.

LOL.

Thx Thx.

reply to post by BO XIAN


Lol, reminds me of my school days and looking at the clock and thinking oops, 1am already, I had better put this down.. I remember the White Dragon by the legendary Ann McCaffrey, I took a sicki just to finish it!

P

74Templar
reply to post by pheonix358

 

Enjoyed reading this one. Someone knows their sci-fi.

S&F.

Perhaps it was a misspent youth but I have been around since the scantily clad ladies were always screaming, save me Flash, save me! Sometimes you wished the damn robot would fire just to shut her up, alas, wasn't in the script so she just kept screaming! Was it flash Gordon or was it ........ ah, memory, what it would be to have you return on cue!

P

great story…I'm going to download your ebook..thank you.

this flooded my memory with all the AI's from movies past. Fun stuff.

carry on the outstanding writing please.