“Is this the best you can do?” The Admiral was displeased.
“We have been doing some computer enhancing,” Onyegin said. He did not add that most of the enhancing had been done by letting the computer see a photograph of the flagship. The three dimensional image blurred, changed and cleared. An apparently solid image now floated there.
“Better,” the Admiral condescended. He walked over and stabbed his finger into it. “I have you Skougaard, you and your precious Dannebrog. You shall not escape. Now, let me have a display of our converging courses.”
The image changed again — with the symbols of the enemy fleet at one side of the Tank, the Earth forces on the other. First a broken line sprang across the Tank from the invaders, then one from the defenders. Where the two lines intersected sets of number appeared, one green, one yellow. The last digits flickering and changing constantly. Green represented the distance in kilometers to the intersection from their present position, yellow the time to get there at their present speed. The Admiral studied the figures closely. Still too far.
“Show me ten and ninety.”
The computer made the complex calculation in microseconds and two arcs of light cut across their future course, less than a quarter of the way to the enemy fleet. The arc closest to the fleet was the ninety, a range at which ninety percent of their missiles could be expected to strike the enemy — if no evasive or screening action was taken. The ten was further out and represented ten percent of the missiles. There were hours to go before even this impractical range would be closed. Space warfare, like ancient naval warfare, consisted of long journeys punctuated by brief encounters. The Admiral sucked happily on his cigarette and waited. He had always been a man of. infinite patience.
Skougaard’s flagship, the Dannebrog, did not have an overly sophisticated War Room like its. opposite number, the Stalin. Skougaard liked it that way. All of the information he needed was visible on the screens, and if he wanted a larger image a projection apparatus threw a picture that could cover the entire wall. It was all solid state, with multiple parallel circuitry, so there was very little that could go wrong. Any force strong enough to incapacitate the circuits would undoubtedly destroy the ship as well. The Admiral always felt that a complex hologram display, with its intricate circuitry, was just wasted effort and unnecessary complication. Since the machines did all the work they only needed to show what was happening in the simplest manner, then obey his instructions the instant they were given. He looked at the displays of the converging fleets and rubbed his large jaw in thought. He finally turned to Jan who waited quietly at his side.
“Then my heavy weapons are in perfect working order, ready for operation at any time. Good. I have a feeling of some reassurance now.”
“The problem was not too complex a one,” Jan said. “If the truth be known I applied some of the work I had done on automated production lines where we have had to speed up repetitive work. It is a matter of thinking mechanical and not electronic. Feedback cycles are fine in circuitry because the various operations happen so fast that they appear instantaneous in real time. But with mechanics you are moving physical objects that have both weight and mass. You can’t stop and start them as easily, and when you do it takes measurable amounts of time. So I rewrote the cannonball loading program in units, so that each one of the cannonballs was constantly in motion and controlled by a file in the program all on its own. Therefore if there should be a mishap or a slowdown, that particular cannonball is shunted aside and the next one takes its place. There will be no complete shutdown and restart as you had in the past. It also means that the cannonballs can be fired at much shorter intervals, which will allow the interval between firings to be exactly regulated.”
The Admiral nodded appreciatively. “Wonderful. And since time means distance in an orbit we can space them out exactly. How close together can they be fired?”
“The best we can do is one about every three meters.”
“Your best is incredible. That means I can fire across the line of approach of a ship or a fleet and they will run into a solid wall of those things.”
“Ideally. This will simplify the range function, leaving only aim to worry about.”
“I have some surprises in store for my old friend, Kapustin,” the Admiral said, turning back to the screens. I know him very well, his tactics and his armaments — and his stupidity. While he has no idea what I am going to hit him with. This is going to be an interesting encounter. I think you will find it something worth watching.”
“I don’t imagine that I’ll have much time to be a spectator. I thought I would be with the gunners.”
“No. You will be more valuable here with me. If Thurgood-Smythe contacts us, or if there is any situation involving his presence, I want you here to evaluate it instantly. He is the only unknown factor in my calculations. Everything else has been allowed for. The computations made, the program written.”
As though to drive home the point the numbers on the course screen began to flash and a horn sounded. Course change,” the computer announced aloud at the same time. The vibrations of the engines could be felt through the soles of their feet.
Now we will see how fast Kapustin’s computer is,” Skougaard said. “Also, how fast he is himself. A machine can only supply information. He will have to make up his mind what to do with it.”
“What’s happening?” Jan asked.
“I am splitting my forces. For two very important reasons. This ship, and the Sverige over there, are the only ones that have sophisticated anti-missile missiles for the simple reason that they are both deserters from the Earth Space Forces. Old Lundwall, who commands the Sverige, should have retired a decade ago, but he is still the best there is. He and I worked out this operation together. We will each head a squadron of ships lined up in a file behind us. There is a good reason as well for this. While I know that our people have worked very hard on electronic systems of missile avoidance, I would rather rely in the beginning on known technology. I am sure that these systems will work well and there will be plenty of opportunity to use them later on. But if I have a choice, there is something very satisfactory in having a screen of seeker missiles out in front to soak theirs up before they can reach our ships.”
Jan watched the screens that displayed the positions of the various ships. They were slowly moving in relation to each other, in a complex pattern controlled by the computers. The flagship had drawn ahead, while half of the ships were moving into station behind it. The other half were doing the same with the Sverige — while at the same time both squadrons were separating as their courses diverged.
“That will give Comrade Kapustin something to think about,” Skougaard said. “All of our ships are falling into line behind these two leading battleships. And that line will always be pointing at the enemy fleet. Which means that, as far as they are concerned, all of the ships except two will have disappeared. It’s a good thing that… the comrade does not read history. Have you ever heard of Admiral Nelson, Jan?”
“I have — if he’s the chap who stands on top of the column in Trafalgar Square.”
“The very one.”
“Some early English hero, from the middle ages or something. Fought the Chinese?”
“Not quite. Though he would have probably enjoyed it. He must have done battle with every other navy. His greatest victory, a victory that killed him, was at the Battle of Trafalgar where he broke through the French line of ships just as I plan to do now. He had different reasons for doing so, though one result will be the same. The lead ship will bear the brunt of the fighting until the line is breached…”