“I won’t. I’ve carried the flag before, and I’ll continue to carry it.”
“You’ll carry the flags of many nations on this one.”
“Understood, sir.”
Chapter Seventeen
Mike asked Serge Parsons for an informal meeting. He had some ideas to run by Serge, but he didn’t want the meeting to be official – his thoughts would likely bring ridicule. He never forgot that he was from an emerging world and essentially ignorant of the science and engineering possibilities of the Empire.
The two of them met at a favorite spaceport pub of Serge’s. Mike had no money, but that didn’t bother Serge in the slightest. They sat at a booth in a back corner, far removed from the festivities surrounding the bar area, and Serge ordered drinks for both of them.
Mike studied the clientele. “Pretty boisterous lot,” he commented.
“Actually, with me here, they’ve toned it down a bit. I doubt if they know who you are.”
“Just as well. I’m not even sure who I am any more. How much do you know about me?”
Serge studied Mike for a time before answering. “Not much. Considering the fact that you’re First Knight, my lack of knowledge is surprising.”
“That’s part of what this meeting is about, Serge. I’d like to run a couple of ideas by you, but they’re likely to make you laugh.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You know that I come from an emerging world and that all this is pretty new to me. Your technology is light years ahead of mine, but I’d like to talk to you about technology in spite of that.”
Serge sat back. “Ask away. You told me part of your story the first time we met, and I like your style. If you ever fall out of favor with the Queen, you should look me up.”
“Be careful what you offer, Serge. It could happen a lot sooner than you think.”
Serge smiled. “Not likely. I’ve seen how the Queen is around you. Let me tell you, she was not a happy person before your return. Now, it’s like she’s whole again. I don’t think you’re going anywhere soon. And quite frankly, I hope it works out for you two. You’re both remarkable, to say the least. It’s fun to see you together.”
“Thanks, Serge. Once this rebellion gets settled, I’m going to find myself in a much more complex environment, but I’m not going to worry about that for the moment.”
“It will be much, much more complex. Any idea what my position in it will be? Are you two going to put me out of business?”
“I’m no lawyer, Serge, and I don’t doubt that there are lots of good laws on the books that demand we do put you out of business, but we’re not that way. I have a long memory, and so does Ellie. We won’t forget what you’ve done for us.”
“You might not, but the next First Knight might not feel the same way. Or the next Queen for that matter.”
“Hopefully, that’s a long way off. Besides, you said yourself that you don’t want or need legitimacy. Maybe that’s the perfect position for you. I don’t doubt for a minute that you’ll keep us on our toes, and we’ll keep you on yours. Isn’t that the true challenge you crave?”
Serge smiled. “I guess it is.”
Mike looked him hard in the eyes. “I suggest you look at this time that we’re together in the same way that Ellie looks at a Testing. She never tells what she learned. Never. When we part some day in the future, as friends I hope, whatever has gone on will stay between us, and only us. You’ll have a clean slate. What you do afterwards… well, be as careful as you’ve always been.”
Serge relaxed into his seat. “I like you, First Knight, and I like your methods. I can live with that. It’s never quite so simple, but I can live with it. Now, what technology do you want to talk about?”
Mike squirmed a little. “It’s probably ridiculous. I’ve been thinking about how we’re going to fight the Rebels. We’re far outnumbered at the moment, but squadron against squadron, which is what it’s going to come down to, we’re pretty evenly matched. Those are lousy odds. I’d like to improve on them.”
“So would a lot of others, myself included. What did you have in mind?”
“Several things. Your guys on Shipyard are pretty bright. Is it possible to engineer a computer virus that we could send into their ships to disable them?”
Serge shook his head. “I’ve been running from them all my life, and I already tried that. Didn’t work.”
“Okay,” Mike said, a little disappointed. “I’ve also been thinking about shields. Our laser disintegrators can’t get through them until they’re weakened or destroyed, but we can talk over the communications systems when they open up a channel. Some kind of energy is getting through the shields.”
“It is. The shields are tuned to the frequencies of the lasers.”
“Well, what if we changed the frequency of the lasers?”
Serge sat back in thought. This idea did not merit instant dismissal. After a time, he said, “I’m not a scientist, Mike, but I think the lasers are tuned to the best frequency to pack the biggest punch. I doubt if a different frequency would work as well.”
“If we could get through the shields easier, we might be satisfied with less of a punch.”
Serge just stared at him. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”
“Okay. Next: I don’t have a clue how shields work, but in my mind I imagine some sort of energy barrier that flows from one side of the shield to the other, sort of like the way magnets have a curved field around themselves. Is it possible to generate a beam of some kind that would disrupt the pattern? If we could make a hole in the shield, we’d be in.”
Serge continued staring at him, but his thoughts were not on Mike. They were on the mechanics of shields and lasers. After a time, Mike realized that Serge’s gaze was on him again. “Where do you get these ideas?” he asked.
Mike shrugged. “I’m just an outsider looking in, Serge. I’m probably seeing things from a fresh viewpoint, that’s all. Chances are good that these ideas have been researched by others, possibly many times.”
“It’s also possible that they have not. Our armaments haven’t changed in generations. We’ve sort of assumed they’re the best they can be. My guys have made some improvements in range and power, but they tell me they’ve taken it as far as they can. Now you’ve got me wondering.”
“And that’s all I’m doing – wondering,” Mike said. “I don’t have the means to pursue these ideas.”
“You might not, but I do. And I will,” Serge answered. “They may come to naught, but I’m going to find out.”
Mike grinned. “That’s more than I had hoped for.”
“Got any more ideas?”
“Not about lasers and shields. But I do have a proposition for you, and maybe a business deal.”
“You know how I operate. What’s in it for me?”
“You tell me. I don’t have access to funds right now, but eventually I will. Your guys on Shipyard design ships, right?”
“Sometimes. We spend most of our efforts on modifications.”
“Then hear me well, Serge. This is important.” He stared hard into Serge’s eyes, knowing that he was about to reveal an Imperial Secret to an individual most of the Empire considered a crook. “You understand that no one can stand against the scree?”
“That’s the rumor.”
“It’s true. Every single creature we know of that’s come under the influence of the scree has been instantly incapacitated, and I mean instantly. Here’s the key: the Chessori are supporting the Rebels at the moment, but If the Rebels win, what’s to prevent the Chessori from turning the scree on the Rebels themselves?”
Serge’s gaze narrowed as he considered the implications, and Mike added a little more to the story. “We have a small group of Chessori traders that are working with us. They tell us that these Chessori we’re fighting are not representative of all Chessori. They believe we’re up against a group of rogue Chessori who are intent on taking over the Empire. With an unchecked scree, they might well succeed. How would you like to be their slave, Serge?”