“Let’s look at this from a different angle,” he said. “Access the Armageddon files.”
“Files accessed,” Cromwell said. The AI sounded vaguely surprised. Unlike a human, or a personality in the MassMind, the AI could be ordered to literally forget something until permitted to relearn the information. “I have the information active in a secure file.”
“Good,” Brent said. He learned back in his chair, feeling the malleable metal shifting to conform to his rear. “How many such devices can we build?”
The starbomb — the Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator, as Tabitha had insisted on calling it, although Brent thought that that was rather silly and typical of a senile personality in the MassMind — had been an accidental development. The researchers had been looking for a way to counter the Killers’ command of gravity and had accidentally discovered a method for snuffing out, or exploding, an entire star. It was a war-winning weapon, in some ways, yet Brent was very aware that the Killers had thousands of star systems. Could they all be sent supernova before the Killers struck back?
“Assuming the complete devotion of the entire Community industrial base to the task,” Cromwell said, “we will be able to produce roughly seven hundred devices per month. The vast majority of nanotech fabricators are unsuitable for producing such weapons. If we restrict development to Defence Force fabricators, we will be able to produce, at most, a hundred a month.”
“Give me a breakdown,” Brent ordered. The charts appeared in front of his eyes and he studied them thoughtfully. “What would happen if we made such a commitment?”
“Local stockpiles of components for starships would be depleted rapidly,” Cromwell informed him. “The Defence Force would be unable to complete the construction of additional starships unless components were sourced from outside fabricators or other sources of supply. It would hamper our ability to support the war effort.”
“Such as it is,” Brent muttered. “I want a full analysis. Could the Killers prevent us from deploying the weapons?”
“If the deploying starship were to be destroyed before the weapon was launched, the weapon would be destroyed along with it,” Cromwell said. The AI seemed to consider. “I am unable to speculate on how the Killers might deal with the reaction in the star, once unleashed; they may be able to counter the reaction and prevent the star from going supernova. The only way to know is to see what happens when we fire the weapon.”
There was a pause. “There is a secondary concern,” Cromwell added. “The results of the strike may not be decisive.”
“Explain,” Brent ordered, sharply. “Are you suggesting that the Killers might survive a supernova?”
“It is a possibility,” Cromwell said. “The weapon works by creating massive disruption within the star that will cause it to explode, blowing off a vast amount of superheated matter. The explosion, depending upon the exact moment of detonation, will expel a considerable percentage of the star’s material at a tenth of the speed of light into the surrounding interstellar medium. The wave of energy would devastate any Earth-like world, but it may not destroy a gas giant, although there would be serious consequences for the planet’s environment.”
Brent looked down at the display again. “And that wouldn’t harm the Killers?”
“We know nothing about their habitations in the gas giants, or even if they truly live there,” Cromwell reminded him. “We may cause complete destruction or they may live far down enough to ride out the blast. Again, we are unable to be sure of the consequences until we actually launch the weapon.”
“I see,” Brent said. A thought struck him. “What would happen if we were to turn the weapon on the gas giants instead?”
“There would be no question of the effective destruction of the target planet,” Cromwell said, finally. “The effects on the remainder of the star system would not be comparable to a supernova, mainly because other possible targets will be sheltered behind the local star. It is unlikely that the planet-bound Killers could survive the destruction of their planet.”
“Unless they have something else up their sleeves,” Brent said, sourly. By common consent, those who knew about the starbombs had decided to only build a handful of such weapons — and to avoid using them until they had decided how best to proceed. “Have we completed our study of possible evolutionary paths for the Killers?”
“No, sir,” Cromwell said. “I believe that Professor Jones and his team are still working on the data from the captured ship. They have not yet completed their research…”
The AI broke off. “Sir, I am picking up a priority signal from the Observer,” Cromwell said. “She is under attack by the Killers!”
“Show me,” Brent ordered.
The final moments of the Observer seemed to fly past terrifyingly quickly. He’d never seen so many Killer starships gathered together outside of one of their star systems, let alone actually paying attention to humanity. All of a sudden, he wasn’t so convinced that encouraging them to take an interest was a good idea; the Killer starship chased the Observer towards a gas giant, where it encountered another Killer starship. The final moments of the starship, as it turned and rammed its tormentor, remained with him as the signal link broke. There was no doubting that the Observer was gone and that her crew was dead.
“Poor bastards,” he said, grimly. On one hand, he knew that many more would die before the war ended; on the other, it came as a shock after the successful capture of a Killer starship. There could be no questioning the fact that the Killers knew that something had happened now; the only good news was that Star’s End hadn’t received a visit. The Killers weren’t capable of tracking their lost ship down. “Do you have a complete copy of their telemetry?”
“Yes, sir,” Cromwell said. “There are also copies being dispatched to the various analysis centres and the MassMind. They will have reports for you soon.”
“Good,” Brent said, grimly. He wanted to study them himself, but he was still too close to the disaster. The crew of the Observer had deserved better. The entire Defence Force deserved better than a hopeless fight against overwhelming odds. “Make sure that the Defence Forums in the MassMind see the information. They might be able to offer different insights into the incident.”
He looked down at the display once again and felt his resolve harden. “Contact the Admirals in command of the various fleets and inform them that I want volunteers for a dangerous mission,” he added, bringing up the Observer’s final location. There was a whole Killer base they hadn’t even known existed. Had the Killers infested all of the galaxy’s gas giants? Destroying them might become even more impossible than it had been before the Observer was lost. “I think it’s time we tested the device on a live target.”
“I would remind you that the deployment of such weapons is in the jurisdiction of the War Council,” Cromwell said. The AI’s voice was dispassionate, but firm. “Do you intend to seek permission?”
“Of course,” Brent said. He replayed again the final moments of the Observer. “I think the entire human race wants to just strike back and to hell with the consequences.”