Henry Gallant Saga 2: Lieutenant Henry Gallant (31 page)

In those critical minutes, the action was hot work indeed.

The missile flight time was now only six minutes.

The alien ship made a course adjustment and prepared to reload its missile tubes.

The
Intrepid
continued to close in on the Titan destroyer. The helmsman read out the closing rate and target acquisition cone.

“Sir, target at fifty percent maximum range,” reported Palmer.

This was what Gallant had been waiting to hear.

“Weapons, set firing solution, lock missiles on target, Tango-one,” said Gallant.

“Firing solution set. Missiles locked on target, Tango-one.”

“Fire missiles one and two,” ordered Gallant. He sat tense in the captain’s seat, watching the destroyer’s image in the view screen.

The weapons officer keyed the target tracking information into GridScape and turned the ignition switch sending the large anti-ship missiles bursting from the make-shift launch racks on its outer surface.

The
Intrepid’s
missile traveled away from the ship and toward the enemy.

The first two missiles left the
Intrepid,
seconds before the Titan fired its second salvo of two missiles.

Gallant ordered, “Weapons, concentrate lasers and plasma fire on Tango-four.”

Once the lasers and plasma weapons detonated the first Titan missile, Gallant shifted fire to the second, which also exploded close enough to cause minor damage to the
Intrepid’s
hull and a blinding violence that produced a brilliant white burst on the forward view screen. Gallant wiped his eyes to clear his vision and to concentrate his thinking as he tried to reevaluate the scope of the situation.

The seconds passed with agonizing slowness as he watched the Titan’s successfully destroy first one then the other of the
Intrepid’s
precious missiles. However the second missile did manage to score a near-miss, scorching the destroyer’s port side.

Each ship had exchanged fire now and had suffered superficial damage.

The Titans were the first to recover and fire another salvo of two missiles.

Gallant directed laser and plasma fire destroying these missiles as well.

The shock waves of the missile warheads’ exploding rocked the ship. The violent repercussions of this salvo were damaging to the UP spaceship. In engineering, men struggled to keep the nuclear reactors functioning, the weapon systems up, and the environmental controls working.

Now the two vessels were close and quickly flying past each other.

The Titan started a long sweep turn to come around and reengage.

His stratagem appeared heading toward a pirate victory. Gallant decided to turn much more sharply to be in firing position first.

He ordered, “Come to course 030, azimuth down 3 degrees, increase speed to 0.002c, at time 2246.” This changed course back toward the sun and met the enemy’s turning circle.

Gallant’s maneuver let the
Intrepid
responded quickly enough to reach a firing position for its second salvo. His heart raced as the
Intrepid
traveled once more at full speed directly into the face of the Titan destroyer.

“Weapons, set firing solution, lock missiles on target, Tango-one,” ordered Gallant.

“Firing solution set. Missiles locked on target, Tango-one.”

“Fire missiles three and four,” ordered Gallant, directing their last two missiles to their selected target. He had grown accustomed to the tempo of battle, but this was the first time he was in a command and responsible for so many others.

The anti-ship missiles were flushed from their launch rack with a
swoosh
of exhaust gases. Within seconds, each began an exhilarating, accelerating surge to reach 0.1c. The onboard pulse radar sent searching electromagnetic waves toward the target Gallant had mentally identified. The missiles locked on to their target and began collecting emission data to maintain its track.

The alien ship fired two more anti-ship missiles and Gallant was relieved they were coming his way instead of heading toward Elysium which was defenseless without its force field.

The Titan anti-ship missile advanced toward
Intrepid
at the same time the
Intrepid’s
missiles were in flight.

It took all of Gallant’s concentration to give orders as the
Intrepid’s
sensors fed data about the incoming enemy missiles, their trajectory to GridScape as well as the
Intrepid’s
anti-ship missiles heading toward the Titans.

Once again the weapons team fired lasers and plasma weapons to destroy the enemy missiles. They succeeded in detonating both missiles short of the
Intrepid,
but the explosions nevertheless inflicted significant damage to the ship’s shields and bow plates. The bow compartment was ruptured and rendered useless. A damage control team was dispatched to seal the air ruptures.

The effects of the blast momentarily blinded Gallant’s command systems—sparks and smoke streamed from several command circuits. The fires were quickly controlled by the ship's automatic fire suppression systems.

Gallant asked, “Radar, where are our missiles?”

The radar-tech reported, “Both missiles are on course closing on Tango-one.”

Gallant watched the forward view screen, waiting to see if the Titans had time to deploy additional countermeasures. Belatedly, he saw an antimissile launch from the destroyer, but it was too late.

The destroyer took two direct hits, bow-on.

Bam! Bam!

The destroyer blew up in a holocaust of fury and devastation, quickly disintegrating in the vacuum of space.

Gallant stared at the viewport, mesmerized by the bright colorful explosions and flying debris as different sections of the dying ship exploded, imploded, or disintegrated. The destruction was so total and complete he couldn’t fully appreciate it at first, but the result meant the
Intrepid
would be able to return to Sol and Elysium would remain safe.

After a minute, he became aware of a continuous outburst of loud cheering from the bridge crew of the
Intrepid.

“Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!”

Brobdingnag roared, spewing hot molten lava over the top of its highest peak. Liquefied metal flecks sparked and burst up into the atmosphere like Fourth-of-July fireworks. Nature’s temper tantrum had been ignited by the high explosives set in strategic places by the
Intrepid’s
crew and they enjoyed watching the visual pyrotechnics.

The roiling torrent of lava, heat, and steam cascaded over a precut ravine in the side of the mammoth mountain. As the rush of fluid wound over the terrain, it found its way into the overgrown tangled jungle. Its controlled course reached the edge of the ancient ruins and flowed into the entrance of the alien berserker AI machine, nestling under the earth. For hours the searing fluid filled the caverns, passages, chambers, and passageways. Every void within its ten cubic kilometers was filled with lava—scorching microprocessors, electric circuits, and memory chips. The heat incinerated everything it touched; completing the destruction Gallant had started when he had released the dark matter from its superconducting containment field.

Aristotle would never return. The underground grave would become a fitting monument to his victims—the Ely, the original inhabitants of Elysium.

The video-feed of the mesmerizing events—from the initial explosions to the flowing liquid burial of the ancient AI—were transmitted to all the citizens of Hallo, as well as the crew aboard the
Intrepid.
The planet’s population was still digesting the stories circulating about President Wolfe’s and Professor Hepburn’s deaths, so the events carried a powerful emotional impact.

Following the broadcast, Alaina Hepburn explained how the force field, supposedly controlled by President Wolfe, was a trick by Professor Hepburn while he was under the control of the AI berserker machine.

Alaina spoke candidly, “We have a heritage of overcoming adversity. Our parents and grandparents lived and worked in the dangerous environment of asteroid-strewn space to dig metals from weightless rock. Despite their surroundings, they were happy, hardworking people who cherished their children and their chosen way of life. We, who have made a home on Elysium, salute their sacrifice and dedicate ourselves to building a better future for our children. I ask you to join me to begin building the foundation of that future.”

Her inspirational speech won her considerable support among the people.

She said, “The Titans still have a base in this system and someday more of their ships will come. While the
Intrepid
returns to Earth with news of our survival, we will be on our own. We need to develop our defenses. We can use the fabrication and mining operations left by
Intrepid’s
efforts to develop anti-ship missiles. We will expand those facilities to develop and build an orbiting space station to defend Elysium.”

Alaina’s Pro-United Planets’ organization promoted a vision for the future of Elysium as a UP protectorate which was gaining support. Gallant attended several meeting to explain how UP would support them when more FLT ships were available. He spoke at length about Alaina’s courage and daring in defeating Aristotle and facing dragors in the jungle. Of the two heroic acts, the public was more impressed with her staring down dragors. Their own experience and fears might have made those events more real to them.

As part of their agenda they called for new elections for all Council members as well as a new president. New elections were set for the following month and there was a scramble to find a slate of candidates who could defeat the incumbents.

Though she expressed strong reservations, as leader of PUP, Alaina was being considered for nomination for president.

He guessed he was the center of much speculation from countless inquiring eyes and curious ears. The town’s people were constantly talking about him and Alaina in endless gossip. He found no expression of humor, amusement, or interest in the conjectures. Talk swept past them, day after day, like a senseless river of meaningless antidotes of little importance except to create a wearisome awkwardness between the couple.

As her campaign to promote a UP common wealth heated up, she became difficult for Gallant to find. He became concerned the future would not find its way to a favorable outcome for the two of them. Though he didn’t say it openly, he selfishly hoped Alaina would not succeed in her political ambitions.

He felt trapped by duty and responsibility, and peevishly, he felt a similar burden would soon befall Alaina.

After several weeks, he found her in Freedom Park with Liam Larson at her side, preparing for a rally in crowds of adherents.

“Hi,” said Larson with a smile as Gallant approached. “It’s good of you to attend the rally. We appreciate your support.”

First he nodded at Larson, then he turned to Alaina. “I’ve been trying to see you. I wanted to speak to you about your decision to run for office.”

“Huh?” she said.

With Larson standing at her elbow, the subsequent discussion was unsatisfying. He left feeling discouraged and he felt he must let events shape themselves. His heart gave a jerk as he realized she was caught in a whirlwind of other people’s agendas.

As if struggling against her fate, she accepted the nomination for office, even as Gallant pressed her to consider returning to Sol as a representative of Elysium.

“They need me. We could lose the election if I don’t,” she claimed.

Gallant was fighting against circumstances contrived to keep him from Alaina.

Alternatively he considered the possibility of remaining as UP’s representative after the
Intrepid
left.

After several emotional weeks, it seemed to him the future would take care of itself and he would have to play a silent waiting game for the hand to be dealt.

“How’s your voting drive going?” asked Gallant as he walked into Alaina’s office on the first floor of the town hall. He nodded to Liam, who was sitting beside her, as usual.

She smiled warmly. “Good—great, actually. Polls are showing we have the people’s confidence.”

By “we,” she was referring to her and Liam. Alaina was running for president and Liam for head of the new security apparatus, which was called simply Hallo Police. Their moto was “A new broom sweeps clean.”

She ran her daily operations smoothly and put out a message to impress the voters. She developed a team, budget, and strategy for her campaign, but soon discovered running a campaign was a matter of implementing solid planning.

Liam and Alaina were campaigning hard against many of the former Wolfe supporters who found themselves unpopular once Wolfe’s schemes were revealed.

Junior ran to fill his father’s seat as president, trying to use his father’s old council member cronies for backing, but Junior himself was not strongly liked among a public ready to do away with the high-handed methods of the SSP. In addition, the Wolfe cronies, who made up most of the old council members, were also losing favor.

Election Day was a triumph for Alaina and PUP. She was voted the new leader of Elysium and Larson the new police chief.

The people of Elysium celebrated their new government.

She appointed a committee to draft a new constitution. Her new council quickly adapted the constitution which nullified the previous treaty and formed a common-wealth arrangement with the United Planets.

The election results froze Gallant’s spirits.

In
Intrepid’s
medical center, Gallant asked Mendel, “How is Neumann?”

“Despite the seriousness of his wounds, he’s holding on. I intend to keep him in the rejuvenation chamber for several more days before he’ll be strong enough to undergo additional surgery.”

“Another round of surgery?”

“Yes, but don’t worry. I have no intention of losing a second captain this trip,” said Mendel grimly.

“I have complete confidence in you, Marcus,” said Gallant. “It’s only that the accelerator has been working non-stop to provide sufficient dark matter for the FTL drive. We’ll have enough in a week and I need to make preparation to return to Earth.”