Chapter 12: Intel

This was the third day since Jim had become confirmed as President. He was talking with AI about the Gray's. AI had much more information than he had dreamed possible. He asked AI for a summery of known information.

Gray Home World Location: Unknown

Est. Fleet Size:
87 Capital Ships
240 War Ships
1500 Scout/Spy Ships
2800 Support Ships.

Known Technological base:
Anti-grav and jump gate capable ships.
Hyper Wave Comm system

Standard Weapons:
Charged capacitor warheads
Nuclear warheads
Anti-matter warheads
Chemical Missiles
Torpedoes

Energy Weapons:
X-ray laser
X-ray cannon
Rail Gun
Standard Laser

AI reported that most of the technologies were stolen from the Centauris. The Comm and Jump capabilities being the chief among them.

Jim thought over the data he had been given. The thought of taking on a race with just one ship seemed suicidal. Something needed to be done.

Four torpedoes appeared in open space from their trip through jump space. Their exit point was randomized, and was half way across the spiral arm from their point of origin. They instantly lost track of their target, and started searching for it. Failing to find the target, and failing to find any other target, they shut down their drives and coasted. Soon, from the lack of anything to target on, the torpedoes switched to standby passive mode. They would wait until a target appeared.

Three days later, they acquired a target. They activated their drives and homed in on the unsuspecting vessel. The torpedoes slammed into the side of the Imperial Battleship Jurkain. They did significant damage to the living quarters of the ship. Over 200 lives were lost in the attack.

The Imperial Empire of Hassid was in an uproar over the unprovoked attack. The only thing was, they didn't know who had attacked them. It would take some time for their humanoid race to find their new enemy.

Jason, Leah and Jim sat down to private meting with each other. The subject was simple; Jim needed new ships, new technologies, and new weapons to fight the Grays.

"Father, in my prior life, I achieved the rank of Captain in the Navy," Leah said. "I commanded a naval destroyer, complete with nuclear Harpoon-5 missiles. My degree was in electrical engineering."

"I see," Jim said. "That explains your understanding of sensors."

"Yes. It also leaves me as the closest thing we find here to someone capable of commanding a Star Ship."

"Are you suggesting that I make you captain of the Prime?"

"No, we can retro fit the Prime with disrupters. For that matter we could also retrofit it for any new weapons we came up with."

Jim still knew his daughter, besides she had laid down groundwork for more than that. He nodded for her to continue.

"Father, I want to command a completely new class of ship."

"Father, I have to agree," Jason said. "I would also like my own ship."

Jim was surprised to hear their goals, but he didn't have any real objections. With both of the kid's knowledge of their past lives restored, he knew they were capable. The fact was, he figured all his children would be capable.

Jim said, "I find no fault in your arguments. However..."

Both kids groaned at the answer, but it wasn't quite what they expected.

Jim added, "Before you can take command of a ship, we need to have the ships."

Leah and Jason smiled.

Jason said, "Father, we need John for that?"

"Why?"

"John was a space engineer in a prior life," Leah said.

"I guess I need to sit down with each of my children and have a long talk."

The two 'children' smiled at that.

"I have used the Centauri's main computer to simulate the phasers design, and it looks wicked," Jason said with a grin.

"I have also been doing the same. I believe we can build a sensor array that will detect an object as small as a ship, from 1 light year away."

Jim, "Good, what about shields?"

"Electro-Magno-Gravatic full spectrum repulsion," Jason said.

"Say what?"

"It's a hybrid multi-phase combination of anti-gravity and holo projection technology."

"Anything else for now?" Jim asked.

"Well," Leah said, "there is the question of how to get the Centuries more active in the research end of things."

"Yes? Ideas?"

Jason said, "We have all the old Star Trek episodes on DVD, I think we can convert them to holo projections using the main AI system."

Jim asked, "Is that so, AI?"

AI, "How do you say on your planet? Ah, yes: 'Piece of cake'."

Jim thought of German chocolate cake. He felt the need for a piece, and briefly wondered if the replicators could handle making him some.