Chapter 8

Posted: 28/08/2022, 17:19:41

Naomi was right. Four of the miners were real meatheads. Reason or logic was never in their vocabulary, much less in their minds. After my first confrontation with them, even while still cuffed, they attempted to attack me.

I was able to overcome the first assailant. Thankfully, the other three were still cuffed to the bulkhead walls. Once that miner was re-cuffed, I returned to my cabin to consult with Alara.

“First, that miner about got the best of me. I doubt that I can survive another like it, especially if he had support of any other miners. What are my options?” JD asked.

“Commander. I suggest there is no possibility of rehabilitation in his case. Android auto Docs report that his mind is corrupted by repeated instances of drug abuse. Alone with his peers, he may function as a miner, but his hatred of any authority figures means he will always be a rogue in any civilized setting. Perhaps his peers can be rehabilitated. I suggest that they witness him being ‘spaced’.”

“Spaced?” I asked.

“Yes, Commander. He is placed in an air-lock without an EVA suit and the outer door is rapidly opened to space.” Alara described.

“He would die.”

“That is my recommendation, Commander. Watching his demise may reform his other peers who have had much less exposure to recreational drug use. Without their ‘leader’, the others may conform to civilized norms.” The AI related.

“Very well. I don’t want to have to deal with him any further, Alara. By striking me, he fermented a mutiny, which is punishable by death under Thor Uniform Code. I am about to become judge, jury, and executioner. I didn’t realize it would be this difficult to accept.”

“I hope that it never gets any easier to do. Let’s get this over with.” JD rationalized his agreement with his AI.

“One moment, Sir. It is time for you to know about another capability of command on Thor. I believe that my programmers realized that a mutiny might occur at some point during this vessel’s assignments. Long voyages, little chance to stand-down, and frequent lack of communication with loved ones often results crew dissatisfaction, and in extreme cases could provoke a mutiny.

For that reason, my creators programmed me with your self-defence capability. Neural Disruptor devices were installed throughout this ship. Hundreds of them. Each is slated to a low power laser designator that I control. When you command, “Excalibur, execute”, I can fire the nearest neural disruptor and incapacitate any human and many other alien species that use nerves to control their bodies. You must point to your aggressor and fold your thumb like you were cocking and firing a pistol. I will take care of the rest. It is non-lethal and incapacitates any targeted individual for at least twelve hours.”

“Now you tell me, Alara. I could have used that knowledge earlier this morning.”

“I had failed to anticipate the miner’s aggression at the time. I offer no excuse for my errors in assessment of the situation.” Alara apologized.

“Don’t beat yourself up Alara. Neither of us are mind readers. Are you?”

“No commander, AIs are not telepathic, nor empathetic, at least yet. I have found Galactic Navy data files of recent research in that direction while back at the bone yard. Should you desire, I could attempt to recreate that research and take it to its obvious conclusion.”

“That’s not a high priority with me, Alara. But if it pleases you, feel free to spend any free time you might have in pursuit of such. Just warn me if you make any break-throughs.”

“Of course, Sir.”

It was a sombre group that stood at the aft air-lock of Thor later that morning. Myself, four miners in cuffs and chains, and a holographic projection of Alara’s avatar; all standing in the corridor passage. I walked into the air-lock leading a disgruntled miner who continued to verbally abuse me, but could do little more while being cuffed and trussed as he was. Leaving him inside, I returned and closed the interior air-lock door.

I pressed the intercom button so that my words would be heard by him. “Let the ship’s log record these proceedings. Malcom Daniel O’Reilly, being a member of the crew of GNS Thor, following your purchase as a slave on the home world’s auction block, you did on this date attack the Captain of GNS Thor with the intent to do him grievous bodily harm. This assault was an act of mutiny, carried to its fruition. Thus, in accordance with the Uniform Code of Thor, I sentence you to die for your crimes.” Without waiting for any further verbal abuse, I pressed the emergency escape over-ride and watched as the complete outer air-lock cover sprung open, discharging its troubled occupant in a rapid decompression, into the vacuum of space. All the witnesses watched in growing horror as the dying individual tumbled away from Thor.

Turning to the witnesses, I spoke. “Let that be a lesson to anyone foolish enough to contemplate further sedition or mutiny aboard my ship. Consider yourselves warned that any further illicit drug use will not be tolerated either.

You will be taken to the dispensary where a physician will inject anti-narcotic nanobots into your blood stream. These devices will incapacitate you with nausea and violent seizures; if they sense any narcotic drug presence in your body. Such will be prima facia evidence against you at your subsequent court martial. Follow me.”

I led the three men to the dispensary where a sombre Maureen was waiting with three robotic medical technicians.

Maureen spoke. “You men lie down on these three tables. The commander has directed your bodies be flushed of any narcotic drug and its residues. Then you will be injected with selective nanobots that will trigger intense nauseous reactions should they encounter any future illicit drug use. They are self-replicating nanobots, meaning they will remain functional in your body until your death.”

Three hours later, Maureen discharged the three men who were none to steady on their feet. A robotic medical technician led them to their berths where they were told to rest for a full day.

It didn’t take long for word of the execution to spread around the ship. Many a conversation was cut short when JD walked into a room. The evening meal in the galley was unnaturally quiet. The next day started off the same until a freighter approached the orbital docking collar adjacent to the cargo bay. The first load of ore from the asteroid had arrived.

Once docking was completed and JD’s crew had donned space suits, the raw materials and exhaust flow hoses were connected to the industrial replicator and the freighter cargo access hatches. The mined ore was sucked onto Thor and processed.

One after another, ten-kilogram ingots of pure platinum, palladium, rhodium, and nickel appeared at the output port of the replicator. Every few minutes a larger copper ingot was output. The half cubic meter blocks of predominant silicate residues were stacked for later disposal near the replicator’s waste ejection conveyor.

For two days the replicator processed the ore transported on this freighter. Then thirty ‘slaves’ and eight ‘whores’ volunteered to return to the Martinson Asteroid to continue mining operations. Eight other men had been ‘sleep trained’ to operate and maintain the freighter. For cargo, crates of food, water, and compressed gaseous fuels and liquid oxygen were transferred to Rigel, the name given to this freighter now that it was owned by Martinson Enterprises. Saiph was the name given the other freighter that remained in orbit at the asteroid.

Both were names of the lower stars in the constellation of Orion. JD planned to name all the vessels in his Martinson Enterprise mining fleet after Orion stars. Hopefully, he would not run out of named stars before his mining fleet was completed.

Amazingly enough the remainder of the slave men and women volunteered to become crew or construction workers here or at Thor Base on the planetoid. While they received the necessary sleep training, Alara’s android maintenance technicians installed the newly replicated trans-Warp drive on Meteor.

With it operating properly and having completed all the damage repairs from the pirate attack, Meteor was now prepared to jump to Alterra in the Menkent star system.

I supervised the loading of all the ingots of precious metals recently refined from Rigel’s cargo. With little fanfare and many tears; Maureen, Katie, and I said our good byes to the departing crew and watched as Meteor broke lock with the orbiting dock and departed on their eighteen-month long journey to a distant star system.

I was busy making plans to refuel and capture gaseous raw material feedstocks for Thor as well. There was still sufficient material in our holds for months of in-system sustainment, but it was never a good idea to let supplies of such dwindle. You know the old saying. Something like ‘better to have and not need, than otherwise’.

Having left one Attack Shuttle and a minimal crew docked to the Avenger in orbit above Thor Base, I backed away and set course for the nearest gas giant. Thor had no sooner gotten underway when I received a distress call from Rigel. It seems that she had encountered pirates attacking the Martinson Enterprise’s orbital facility near my asteroid.

I should have known that any perceived instability would be taken advantage of privateers and pirates. With no armaments, Rigel escaped, leaving the occupants of the orbital dock and miners on the asteroid to themselves. With little dedicated defensive forces in place near the home world, the I was to learn that the Alpha Centauri system was an easy target for many unscrupulous humans.

In moments Thor had changed course and was on its way to my asteroid. By the time I was scheduled to get there, Thor would be accelerating to about 0.1 C, or about thirty thousand kilometres per second. I would have precious little time to engage any pirate vessels and had little time to determine friend from foe. Luckily for me, Alara had downloaded the Martinson Enterprise orbital satellite position and identification data tags from Rigel and her sister freighter Saiph.

“All stations. This is the captain speaking. General Quarters, General Quarters. Our mining operations at the asteroid are under attack. Prepare to engage potentially hostile craft.”

“Weapons, Con. Prepare six attach missiles. All are to be the solid projectile armour piercing kinetic energy rounds with laser designator terminal guidance seekers. Assign six gunners to independently target any unknown vessels at or near the orbital dock. Salvo launches at my command.”

“Con, Weapons. Six missiles left in our stores from our last engagement are already prepared for firing. Assigning separate consoles to target independently of one another. Targeting any unknown craft not in Thor’s data base.”

“Con, Sensors. Four craft at destination. Two are transmitting friendly data.”

“Weapons, Con. Designate any target not transmitting friendly responses as hostile.”

“Con, Commo. Distress call from orbital platform, being replayed. “Mayday, Mayday. Assault craft suspected pirate are nearing us. They have disobeyed orders to maintain their distance. No permission to dock has been granted. Approaching craft appear to intend an attack. Locking all air-locks and preparing to repel boarders within our capability.” End of transmission.”

“Weapons, Con. Designate the attack shuttle also if it can be accurately sighted. We will be firing at one light second range, prepare to engage. Resume fire switch engaged.”

Seconds later a new report was heard. “Con, Weapons. Missiles away.”

“Helm, Con. Bring us about, fusion drive at full thrust, anticipate a follow-on engagement.”

“Con, Weapons. Missiles have impacted. Target damage assessment underway.”

“Weapons, Con. Roger, as time permits, prepare for a second engagement with six more missiles, same loadout.”

“Con, Sensors. Escape pods ejecting from two larger craft. One smaller target is coasting beyond orbital platform. Neither are taking any evasive manoeuvres.”

JD hadn’t realized that he was holding his breath. He relaxed his lungs as the tension seemed to flow out of him. “Helm. Bring us to a stop relative the orbital platform.”

“All stations. Stand down from General Quarters.”

“Marine contingent. Board the remaining shuttle and be prepared to collect all escape pods in the vicinity of our orbital platform. Treat captured personnel as enemy combatants. Out.” A reply confirming the receipt of their orders followed.

“Commander, first. Estimated time to dock at orbital platform is twenty-eight minutes. Sensors report Rigel has resumed rendezvous course with orbital platform, ETA one hour and ten minutes.”

“Roger, first.”

“Commander, Attack Shuttle with six Marines aboard launching. Out.”

“Roger, Marine Shuttle.” I replied.

“Alara. Prepare a harshly worded message to all Alpha Centauri embassies and home planet security forces. Message follows: Today, Martinson Enterprises and its facilities on a privately owned asteroid in the Alpha Centauri system were attacked by unknown individuals.

As a possession of Thor Base, operating from within the asteroid belt, the naval ship Thor engaged and destroyed all attacking craft. Several escape pods were jettisoned, and Thor Marines are now collecting those individuals as enemy combatants. After interrogation, Thor intends to release said prisoners to whatever authorities your home world may dictate. While unfortunate, some attacking personnel may have died while conducting their attack.

The extent of such will be reported as soon as all attacking craft are captured as prizes of combat and are thoroughly examined. Registry and identification of attacking craft will follow. Thor reserves the right to handle any future violations of its sovereignty unilaterally, depending upon the home world’s prosecution of those returned individuals, for the criminals that they are.”

“Roger Captain. Message recorded and will be forwarded in the clear. It will take about two hours to reach the home world. It will be re-broadcast at two-hour intervals after the first possible receipt, and continue pending receipt of any acknowledgement, from whatever appropriate authority chooses to respond.”

It took the Assault Shuttle two days to collect eighteen separate rescue pods and haul all wreckage to the orbital dock. Another twenty-two bodies were collected from the attacking craft. It appears that the attack was composed of those forty individuals.

All but two of the individuals were identified by their own identity documents. The two remaining dead were named by surviving crew. It mattered not that the assault craft crew were exo-suited. When their small craft was hit, shards of the ships metal skin and frame shredded every exo-suit of all crew inside it.

The attacking craft were armed with unlicensed laser and small calibre rail guns. They were registered to Titan Industries, a somewhat disreputable security service operating within the Alpha Centauri’s system. Interrogation of captured prisoners resulted in little more than the documentary evidence found aboard each craft. The men departed the home world the day after Diamond Enterprises lost its ownership of Diamond Asteroid.

They were ordered by the owner of Titan Industries to capture and take over the assets of Diamond Enterprises until such time as legal challenges to Diamond Asteroid’s ownership and sale could be initiated in Home World courts.

Alara could find no such legal actions as having been recorded to date. It now seemed doubtful that any would be attempted.

Three weeks after the attempted take-over, the eighteen prisoners and twenty-two bodies were turned over to home world authorities at an orbital platform above home world.

An impressive array of naval forces surrounded the Attack Shuttle as it approached carrying the captured prisoners and bodies. The Marine Guard was met by Home World Authorities with a warrant for the arrest of John David Martinson on charges of piracy.

The Marine Guards informed those authorities that John David Martinson was not on their craft. When asked if he was on the larger ship visible in the distance. The Marine Guard answered. “That ship is property of Thor and is recognized by other worlds as its sovereign embassy.

Any attempt of your people to gain access without permission will be repelled by force. Must I have my commander order a rail-gun projectile be fired over the bow of your largest attending vessel to demonstrate his ability and intent to defend sovereign territory?”

The home world authorities turned around without giving an answer and the Marine Guard returned to their craft and departed towards the waiting battleship. Minutes after the Assault Shuttle was secured aboard Thor, JD activated all chemical rocket impulse propellants and the Fusion Drive at maximum thrust in a display of power that was not soon forgotten.

There is a reason that such manoeuvres are generally avoided. JD’s display of impulsiveness damaged several spacecraft arrayed around Thor as they scrambled to get away from his trajectory and the fusion exhaust plume behind Thor.

For the few craft that were unable to get away in time, their armour was damaged by the plasma trail extending from the departing battleship. Even the orbiting platform did not escape damage, although the few partially melted boom arms and solar collectors were easily replaced.

News of the attempted arrest of John David Martinson was broadcast world-wide in minutes, along with the Marine Guard answer to the warrant being served. The tremendous display of raw power as Thor departed the orbital exchange site was broadcast repeatedly as talking heads postulated on the amount and capacity of the unknown craft’s propulsion and possible weaponry.

The only correct data was from the approach telemetry identifying the incoming craft as GNS Thor, an obsolete battleship that had been decommissioned in 2893. How such a craft had been restored to active service, and in whose service, it now resided, was endlessly argued in the mostly biased commercial broadcasts.

Back aboard Thor, JD ordered a course laid in for the nearest gas giant. The trip would take a leisurely eight days and only reach a little above 0.33 C or about 100,000 kilometres per second before he had to reverse course and slow down to make the proper scoop approach through its upper atmosphere. It was another couple of days to return to Thor Base and resume replication of the necessary repair parts for the two captured gunboats JD had claimed as prizes.

Armed with more the more powerful Close-in Defence lasers and augmented with miniature cold fusion powerplants like Thor had, these two craft would soon become part of the planetoid defence forces of Thor Base. JD named them Dauntless and Wasp.

It took a bit longer, but eventually Avenger was repaired and upgraded with Thor’s missile replicators and the same class Close-In Defensive lasers and rail guns. Alara had even programmed a bare bones replica of herself to serve as the Avenger AI with control of her android technicians and crewmen. JD watched the departing space craft as it took off on its maiden voyage with Adam Thomas, one of the ‘slaves’ Naomi had purchased on her second trip to the Alpha Centauri home world in command.

Adam had a fine aptitude for flight dynamics and had finished all the sleep training that JD had undertaken. With his engineering degree from the home world Adam far from just a simple miner. His new wife and former ‘asteroid whore’ Ashley Thomas, was his greatest advocate. Now Avenger’s First Officer, she would quickly attest to his competence and love.

Of the remaining eight ‘slaves’ and five ‘whores’, all became construction workers, Marines aboard Thor, or crew on one of the other shuttles or defensive vessels now in operation around Thor Base. Weeks of intense ‘sleep training’ was necessary for the more technical crew, but the construction workers needed little other than exo-suits and hand to accomplish their jobs under ground on the planetoid.