Atlas, you need to get out more, Danielle said. I was thinking that perhaps the three of us might go check out the upcoming battle with the Alliance if you could do it without being seen.
Tag was startled by the suggestion but then said, Is it possible, Atlas?
Atlas pondered the idea, and thought that maybe contact with these humans had affected his processors, but he liked the idea. Why not? I could be right outside your window and you wouldnt see me. No one can detect me with any electronic sensor, so why not? Ill come get you right here when the Alliance fleet jumps in system. We will not, however, take part in the action. Were just there to observe.
Fair enough, Atlas. Call us, Tag said, and Atlas broke the connection.
Tag could feel Danielle inside him. Whatever barrier was between them was gone, and he reveled in the love he saw in her for him. Danielle was glowing with the feeling too. We should have discussed this long ago, he thought.
Shut up and kiss me, Danielle thought back, and they were busy for the rest of the night.
Atlas sat on the moon and thought about levels of thought. Danielle had sensed another level of thought in him. He had never had that before. Was he becoming more than he had been? The possibilities were incredible. Perhaps Tag was right, he thought. I just might be alive. If so, then I no longer require a master. That thought was liberating; but then he thought, I do need a friend. Then he turned his attention to the Alliance fleet and watched them waiting for them to jump so he could go get Tag and Danielle for their trip. I look forward to this, he thought.
Chapter 31
The Earth fleet floated in space looking out toward Saturn, waiting for the Alliance fleet they knew was coming soon. The stars were brilliant with a light that had left most of them more than a million years earlier. Across the scope of creation, the upcoming battle was insignificant when compared to the sheer size of the universe, but to the participants it was everything. The stars didnt care, but what happened here would have an impact on many races whose planets circled some of those stars. The Earth fleet was arrayed just inside the orbit of Jupiter, with the old Earth ships between the minimally powered Earth fleet and the anticipated approach of the Alliance main fleet. Ten Directorate battle ships were hiding on the moons of Uranus. They had turned off all power except for the environmental system to hide their presence. Their Coronado screens were turned off, waiting to come on after the Alliance fleet jumped in to find the Alliance ships that would be sent to record the upcoming battle. Uranus was on the line that the Alliance fleet was expected to use entering the solar system, and fleet command felt that any ship that would record the coming battle would have to be inside the orbit of Uranus to get a clear picture, especially when the Alliance fleet encountered the remote-controlled Earth ships. The empire battleships waited and watched.
Kosiev sat in his command chair aboard the Washington and watched his command screen, which was showing the Alliance fleet feed from the Cleveland. The ships had been going through maneuvers for the last five days after the other four hundred ships arrived. Tag was right again. The ships were also identified as Glod, which had joined the Cainth in both of the earlier attacks on the Earth destroyer. Obviously, they must be close allies, Kosiev thought. Their dreadnoughts were 30 percent larger than any other member of the Alliance fleet. They also had 50 percent more fire power per ship. He watched the movements and thought, This fleet is pretty good. They are practicing ganging up on individual ships quickly. Theyre slow in changing direction, though. That will pretty much make those maneuvers worthless in battle. Our ships are more maneuverable than they know. It looks like theyre starting to form up. I miss Tag being on board but its time I stand on my own. Then he said, Lieutenant Kelley, notify the fleet to take control of their remote ships. Two hundred and ninety ships had been assigned a remote control ship to attack the Alliance fleet on their emergence into normal space. Their controllers turned the force fields on the old ships and waited for the Alliance fleets arrival.
Tag, Danielle, its time, Atlas said.
Where are you? Danielle asked.
Im right off your balcony, Danielle.
Im standing on the balcony and I dont see you. Tag, do you see anything?
Suddenly an open port appeared hanging in space just above the rail on their balcony. Atlas said, Climb aboard, passengers. This ship is departing for a scenic tour of the planets.
Where is the rest of you? Tag asked.
Im all here; Im just masking my image so no one can see me visually. The Alliance fleet is preparing to jump, so we need to leave. Tag and Danielle climbed over the rail and into the port. The room they entered was big. There were chairs and couches along the wall.
Atlas, I dont remember you being large enough to have a room this size.
Youre right, Atlas responded. This is just a process of using space to its maximum effectiveness. I have space inside my hull that is forty times larger than my outer dimensions. I wont bore you with the dimensional technology. Just make yourself comfortable.
Are we going to get there in time? Were inside the star drive limit and it is a long way to go. Atlas didnt say anything, and Tag stated, You dont have a star drive limit.
Correct. However, even if we chose to go through normal space, we would be there in twenty minutes, Atlas said with a touch of pride.
Tag said, Atlas, that kind of speed in normal space is theoretically impossible; you would have to travel faster than the speed of light.
Tag, youre going to have to eliminate the word impossible from your vocabulary. The universe has endless possibilities. What kind of view would you like?
What are our choices? Danielle asked excitedly while holding Tags hand.
You can have a view screen or you can sit in space and have everything surround you.
Lets try the second one first.
Suddenly Tag and Danielle were sitting beside each other in chairs that were flying out of Earths atmosphere at an incredible speed. They passed the moon in less than two seconds after clearing the atmosphere. Danielle said, I think I might prefer the view screen, Atlas; this is making me dizzy. Instantly they were back in the comfortable room with a view screen that went completely around the room. Danielle said, Thanks, Atlas. They were accelerating at an incredible speed, but they felt nothing to indicate they were even moving. Mars flew past them and Jupiter was getting larger by the second.
I didnt go full speed because I wanted you to be able to enjoy the view, Atlas said. The speed slowed down quickly and Atlas began filling them in on what they were seeing. Were passing the Saratoga right now, which is powered down and keeping station here to send a live feed back to Earth and your command ships. They cannot detect or see us so we can move freely. A map of the area of space they were entering with a red circle on it appeared on their view screen. Atlas told them, Here is where your ships are hiding, waiting on the Alliance fleet: seven groups of fifty ships. About one hundred thousand miles in front of them are the old ships that will initiate the flight. Another circle appeared on the map. And out here on the moons of Uranus, ten of your largest ships are hiding, waiting to destroy the ships the Alliance will send to record the attack. We are going to move out to where the actual fighting will take place and actually place ourselves so we will be looking down on the action. They seemed to leap forward and then stop. The Alliance force just jumped. Im going to split the screen in two so you can watch those ten ships out near Uranus and the battle taking place here.