“Yes, it was an offshoot of the framework technology that nanobots built into my breastbone. It's still there.”
“Well, I guess the Doc knew I'd eventually find myself in a dangerous situation so he sent a more advanced version along. Over the next ten hours the nanobots will build materializers into several sections of my body, so if the worst happens they'll start rebuilding me.”
“That project is beyond classified,” Jason whispered. “Special forces aren't supposed to start using that for at least three months.”
Minh just watched the conversation take place, looking from Ayan to Jason and back.
“I guess Doc still knows people in high places. A few decades in the military does that.”
“I could imagine.”
“So we're going into a dangerous situation?” Minh interrupted.
“Well, I am. It sounds like the people here need help, and I see two people in here with real infantry training and experience,” she replied.
“I know you have training and off ship experience, but…” Minh looked to Jason. “You don't have infantry training, do you Jason?” Minh asked.
“I have some covert training, you're the better soldier I'm sure,” Jason replied with a grin.
Minh smiled back. “Right, always thinking of others before myself,” he looked back to Ayan. “What's the plan?”
“We're supposed to get to the Triton after retrieving Oz and Jason here, and these people need help, so maybe we can get the Triton to come to us.”
“That could be a problem. There are major comm stations planet side jamming everything coming in and out of the system. They have complete control over what people see, hear and how far those transmissions get.”
“Well, we'll have to take care of that then.”
“We could always find a way to hijack an enemy ship and go get the Triton ourselves,” Minh offered.
“Enemy ships look just like everyone else's ships, sorry Minh.” Jason replied. “The bots are organized, a lot of them use the same equipment we do, stealing, salvaging, hacking everything they can get into service.”
“Well I guess we're on the hook if we want transportation too. Is there somewhere I can check in and volunteer with here?” Ayan asked Jason.
“Yup, they have a recruiter's office in the secure section of the mountain. I don't think it's seen as much traffic over the last few days.”
Jason and Ayan started walking towards the door, Minh remained standing at the head of the bed for a moment. “Are you coming?” Ayan asked.
Minh thought quietly for a while, looking more serious than Ayan had ever seen him.
She walked to him and took his hand; “maybe there's a way for you to pitch in without getting right into the fight. There must be.”
“I've been planning ops from behind the scenes, they need strategists,” Jason offered quietly.
He shook his head; “I'm not afraid, and I'll be signing up right along with you. I just hope you realize that if this is the kind of battle I'm picturing, it could be a lot more complicated, more dangerous than you imagine. We could be here a very long time and we might not all make it out.”
Minh's statement hit home. Her and Jason both paused a moment. “From the work I've been doing with the commanders here, he's right Ayan.”
“What do you think we should do?” she asked finally.
Minh's expression was deeply pensive as he hesitated. “Do you think we could form a strike team? Go after objectives quietly?”
“I think we could swing that with the people here. They've been primarily on the defence so far. What's your idea?”
“We get just a few people together and start taking out their key facilities one at a time. Make them worry, convince them that the people here don't care if they have to rebuild their communications and power centers. Just like in the Quaking Mile.”
“I haven't played that sim since before the First Light.” Jason commented as he nostalgically recalled the scenario.
“I don't remember that one, what's it all about?” Ayan asked.
“It's exactly what Minh's talking about only smaller. There's a square mile where you have power, communication, transportation and other key structures. The first team to take out the majority of the key points wins. Often the team that's best at evading while accomplishing their objective takes the points. Casualty rates are very low for teams who pull it off quickly.”
“Now that you mention it I remember playing it a few times when I just met you bunch on line. It sounds perfect. Do you think it'll work?”
Jason smiled; “Minh and Jonas had the team record on Freeground and as I remember, you were always a first pick for boarding crews, Sunspot.”
Mementos
The glass Jonas Valent had last drunk out of had been encased in a small glass display box. Jake Valance stared at it after setting it down in the middle of his Ready Quarters office desk. He had no idea what to do with it after placing it inside the case consisting of a simple black base and transparesteel surround. The writing on its base said; A Drink With Jonas.
As he quietly looked around the office for a place to put it, perhaps a good spot for a small shelf without it drawing too much attention but a place he'd look to often enough, the door chimed. “Come in,” Jake said quietly.
The heavily armoured door was drawn out of the jam and Alice stepped inside. Over her black vacsuit she wore her flight jacket, something that was making an appearance all over the ship with anyone who fancied themselves a good pilot. She was the first to make it part of the uniform by adding the Triton skull to the right shoulder. Many senior staff members in the engineering, gunnery and security departments had started to wear long coats much like Jakes', but either addition to their uniforms were considered luxury items, and since they were dense protective garments it took several days worth of materialization rations to create them.
Alice's smile still brought his spirits up, it was something he hoped would never change. “How was the day watch?” she asked brightly.
“Filled with good and bad news. The crew are responding to the general difficulty of the training simulations increasing ship wide as a challenge, I'm not hearing many people complaining. Our live combat drills are still getting better, and we've had thirty one people qualify in their departments to become full crew.”
“Thirty one? That's twice as much as yesterday.”
“People are embracing their roles, getting together into groups and helping each other out. Crew members who are working as a unit are qualifying for their posts faster. We should see at least two hundred more graduated members in the next three days. The bad news is that we'll still be left with half the crew not fully qualified. That's something we expected, but I also have a problem with the civilian volunteer group.”
Alice sat down and made herself comfortable in the seat across from him, she was right at home, during the evening shift the office was hers. Jake slept just above most of the time in a small sleeping cabin. If there were any problems he was just a hatch away and she had only had to call on him twice. “Last I checked half the civilians were signing up as damage control or part time security. I even saw a couple people trying out as fighter pilots.”
“That's the problem. The training regimen we're on is made to prepare the non-civilian crew for a kind of warfare that doesn't allow much opportunity to take prisoners. We both know that Triton is being groomed as a killer, every department knows it. The default disposition for everyone aboard with the exception of the civilians is to kill anyone trying to board us or anything circling outside.”
“It's working, in true condition simulations our casualties are continually decreasing despite the fact that you keep making them more and more difficult. Even in missions where we have to determine that each opponent is armed before firing the aggressive attitude is ensuring early surrenders and quicker suppression times.”