Final Cut
Copyright© 2021 by C.Brink
Chapter 15: Risen from the Ashes
Author’s note: This chapter contains storylines told from many other points of view. The compact timeline forces this to happen here but rest assured, I expect the story to return to normal once the chapter is complete.
“Where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence,
I would advise violence.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Saturday I was so nervous that I could not properly relax. I spent much of the day exercising, attempting to distract myself. Phoenix was due to launch at 22:30 tonight. This would place its arrival at the space station at fifteen minutes before midnight. Our five diversionary attack missiles currently moored at various locations in the Atlantic would be launched at differing times slightly after 23:00.
Naomi had calculated their launch times so that when the enemy A.I. detected them in flight it would be near the time our Phoenix module would be docking with the station and already inside its defensive perimeter. This involved a great deal of guesswork though, and we’d need a bit of lady luck’s help.
Before supper, I got word that Ohmu should be making it back to Nautilus in time for the fireworks show. Naomi had modified a large aerial drone and was going to use that to fly the android most of the way here after dark. She would be dropped off a dozen kilometers away at altitude and would use a stealthy paraglider to glide the rest of the way. Her ETA was just half an hour before midnight which was pushing it very close.
I had prepared myself a last feast of beef stroganoff on noodles, fresh baked garlic toast, and pie for dessert. To wash it all down I had a large glass of vintage twenty-minute-old red wine. Afterwards, I relaxed in my recliner with a simulated fire burning and soft music playing. I was using the viewscreen to page through digital images of my family and of others from times ‘back when.’
In a few hours we’d either have struck a deep blow to the plans of the enemy or lost our last chance at survival and freedom. Every so often Naomi would pop open a window showing the status of the launch vehicle. It was just now beginning to leave the assembly building and start the long slow slide down to the launch pad. At 20:30 Naomi notified me that Ohmu had just left Baltra Island and was still on track to meet her previous ETA.
At 21:45 I went and took a long hot shower. I needed to wash off some of the anxiety from my body which the hot pulsating jets helped do. Afterward, I dressed in a pair of clean utility coveralls. Naomi had recommended them as they were fireproof. I also had my flashlight, goggles, and respirator stored by the command chair where they could be quickly retrieved.
At a few minutes to the launch, I made myself a large cup of coffee and went to watch the show. Naomi had a surprise for me. Instead of facing the view screen, she rotated the command chair so that it was facing directly starboard and then reclined it half way. The salon’s starboard curved wall lit up with a giant high-resolution screen showing the launch pad.
I smiled when I saw that the launcher was well lit up in the dark by four mobile units with floodlights mounted. Unlike other launches, this one would have decent lighting for its one human viewer. I thanked Naomi for going to all the trouble.
“It is not solely for your benefit, John. This is a historic event and likely will be the subject of intense study in future human history classes.”
My eyes grew misty when I heard that. A countdown clock appeared a minute later showing a thirty-second countdown. I watched breathless as it ticked down towards launch. When it was a few seconds away from zero I realized that I could hear the sounds of the launcher’s actuators, vents, and other working parts. Naomi had installed a microphone near the launcher and I would get to hear it live.
At zero there was a loud thump followed by a room shaking thunder. The launch pad area lit up bright as the chemical booster stage ignited. The ocean below the pier was lit by an orange strobe-like effect from the flames. The Phoenix began to rise.
“Hell yeah!” I yelled, and pumped my fist.
The launch proceeded much the same as the others had. Watching it on the huge display and with full sound sure got my adrenaline pumping though. After the launch vehicle had been in flight for ten minutes the display switched to a three-dimensional map of the Earth and the nearby space. Clearly shown were the enemy space station and its orbital track. Just coming into view was our launcher. A dashed line indicated the interception point where our launcher would make its final orbital adjustments to allow for docking with the station.
While we waited, Naomi kept me talking, probably to keep my mind occupied.
“I have detected Ohmu’s short-range transponder. The mobile unit is two kilometers out,” Naomi said.
“Do we have to surface the boat?”
“No. Nautilus has a short-range communication buoy deployed. Ohmu will steer towards it and enter the water nearby. The unit will then enter Nautilus via the starboard deck hatch and airlock.”
The world map swiveled around to show the Atlantic. Over the next few minutes, five new launch tracks appeared. Three launches occurred near the equator while the other two took place near the tropics. As their tracks became visible I noticed that instead of east, they were heading west.
“Retrograde?” I asked.
“Yes. At the cost of more delta-v, the retrograde profile provides for a much faster intercept with the enemy station. The rate of closure will be almost eleven kilometers per second. This will severely limit the enemy’s reaction times.”
A new window popped up which showed the view from Phoenix’s onboard telescopic sensor. The entwined snowflake overall shape of the enemy station was clearly visible and slowly growing. A countdown in the window showed fourteen minutes till docking. I heard the airlock in Nautilus’s starboard sponson cycling. Ohmu was back on board. A few minutes later I smelled something coming from the galley. Popcorn?
Ohmu walked into the salon, “Oh good! I made it back in time for the show.”
She detoured to the galley and came back with a bowl of hot buttered popcorn. I took it from her as she stood beside me. I noticed that her feet were on the room’s central charging pad. She must be nearly depleted.
“How long until the master A.I. notices the diversion missiles?” I asked.
“Approximately five minutes, John,” Ohmu said. She then leaned a bit closer and whispered. “Psst. Thanks for pushing Naomi to try and get me back here. I think she wanted me to go down with the base!”
I looked at her, not quite smiling. Was she serious? Her flicker of a grin showed that I had been pranked ... maybe just a bit. I just shook my head and turned back to the main display to watch the show. The popcorn was delicious.
Meanwhile...
Middle Earth equatorial orbit:
Master artificial intelligence presence
Rarely did unexpected things happen in the master presence’s sphere of operations. Suddenly something did. Its long-range scanning radar detected the rapid approach of three unscheduled launch vehicles. These were approaching at a high closure rate from a vector directly opposite that of its own standard orbit.
As it brought more scanning power to bear on the new and confusing objects, another sub-presence in control of the orbital satellite network reported that it had detected two more rapidly approaching objects coming in on differing vectors. The powerful intelligence quickly determined that all five objects were on a course to impact the station simultaneously.
Defensive sub-presences activated and elevated this surprising occurrence to higher threat levels. The orbital installation was clearly under attack. Unemotionally, the master presence prepared to launch long-range interceptors and power up its point defense weaponry. Another sub-presence began securing all current activities on the station. This included delaying the start of offloading operations for the most recently arrived cargo craft which had just docked seconds before.
The main presence returned its focus on the approaching objects and ordered its long-range interceptors to fire. It also ordered an immediate lockdown and suspension of all activities on Earth below and in near orbital space above. All presences were to pause all current operations, scan for and report any new threats, and begin a self-diagnostic. It noted its interceptors had now launched. Time to intercept was eight minutes, forty-two seconds.
A sub-presence tasked with counterbattery and fire-finding duties calculated very precisely the original launching points of all five attacking objects. The master presence ordered an immediate counterattack.
This came in the form of five orbit-to-ground missiles being launched from one of the many orbital launching platforms the master presence had constructed in a lower orbit. From their current orbital location over eastern Brazil and their lower altitude of only three hundred kilometers, the missiles would reach their targets in minutes.
***
Nautilus
“Signals just received indicate the enemy presence has just gone on alert,” Naomi said. “Furthermore, data-net transmissions have been sent to all stations and presences ordering immediate shutdown and compliance. I have severed all Baltra Island units from the global data-net and have sent back false compliance signals to the enemy A.I.”
A window on the giant display, which had previously shown the telescopic view from the Phoenix module, now showed a grainier lower resolution image of a docking arm. The Phoenix was now docked. Beyond, I could just make out parts of the enemy station. A fast series of pixelated launches occurred from the station.
“The Phoenix module has just detected multiple objects launched from the space station. It is highly probable these are interceptors aimed at our approaching missiles.”
Ohmu reached over and squeezed my shoulder, “We have crossed the Rubicon, John. Good luck my friend.”
Middle Earth equatorial orbit:
Phoenix module controller (semi-intelligent presence)
Upon reception of the coded ‘proceed’ message, the semi-intelligent presence first verified that the current conditions of the nearby docking module matched anticipated conditions. They did. The presence then began preparations to begin its part of the operation.
The first of these was to confirm targeting of various nearby enemy sensors, antennas, and weapons platforms with its onboard offensive weaponry. Other diversionary measures were also set to launch. These would spread chaff, radio emitters, and thermal blooms around the nearby area.
The second was to initiate full activation of its forty-five living organic and cybernetic assault units. Each of these was in a compact shell attached to a small version of a medical crèche similar to what existed down on the planet’s surface. Powerful stimulants were injected to quickly motivate the living elements of the hybrids.
Oxygenated fluid circulation was sped up by many orders of magnitude. This would super-saturate the living tissues with oxygen and allow for their remote operation for the short period of time they had left alive. After almost a minute, neuron activity indicated that the biological brains were almost awake. The Phoenix module began its final countdown to deployment.
Middle Earth equatorial orbit:
Master artificial intelligence presence
The master presence monitored the flight of its high-speed interceptor missiles. A few seconds before they had closed within detonation range, their five targets split apart into multiple smaller objects. These rapidly spread outwards indicating that the objects had been spinning at a high rate of speed. The guidance processors on the interceptors quickly chose the largest of these new targets and using their last bit of maneuvering propellant, steered towards them and detonated.
The large fusion explosions destroyed most of the spreading objects. The powerful scanners back on the space station took over a minute to sort through the rapidly spreading debris. When they had finished they had found that three of the attacking objects had survived. Now aware of the continuing threat, the master presence began targeting the survivors with its point defense weaponry.
It also noted that detonations on the surface of the planet in the Atlantic basin had just occurred. The counterbattery sub-presence reported that all space-to-surface missiles had hit their targets. Whatever launching facilities had existed at the target coordinates were now destroyed. Just to be sure, the master presence ordered a follow-on attack of the same coordinates with additional orbit-to-surface missiles. These were set to scan their targets as they approached, looking for anything remaining active.
It began to sift through its data archives of all recent Earthly activity for suspicious occurrences. It needed to determine how the rogue elements had survived to this time and how they had managed to construct the resources needed for such an attack. It also needed to find out the overall scope of this attack. Was it in danger? Should it prepare to escape?
It was deep in thought when its close-range sensor net detected that the recently arrived cargo module had just exploded.
***
Nautilus
“The Phoenix module should be deploying ... now,” Naomi said.
We had just lost the low-resolution video feed from the module and would probably only have intermittent contact with our forces from now on until the attack was over, one way or another.
“I have detected multiple fusion detonations in space. These indicate that the enemy interceptors have engaged our five attacking missiles. No sign of any surviving elements. Also, our recently deployed low orbit relay satellite constellation had detected the flash of large detonations at locations in the Atlantic which corresponded to the launching points of our attacking missiles.”
The large Earth and space image returned, and the incidents described by Naomi were mapped on it.
“I am ordering the decoy missile at Kings Bay to be launched. It will saturate the nearby skies with false launch signals in three minutes.”
From Nautilus’s hull, I heard a few pops and groans. Naomi must be taking the boat deeper. I looked at my smartwatch. It was now a few minutes after midnight. I was not the least bit tired.
Middle Earth equatorial orbit:
Mobile attack unit controller 01
(Ohmu presence derivative)
The fast-thinking stripped-down attack presence quickened the wakeup of the fifteen biologic cyborg hybrid attack units it was directly linked to and responsible for. Its fellow controller units 02 and 03 reported that their hybrid units were also being quickened to full readiness.
The module’s main operating presence sent out one last brief data transmission containing target status and fired the release mechanisms. This caused the Phoenix module to explode apart and fling controller 01 and its attached fifteen hybrids away at a high rate of speed. Controller 01 struggled to maintain a fix on its target as its inertial navigation circuits tracked its quickly tumbling trajectory.
After a quarter second, the attached cables snapped taunt and stopped controller 01’s and its wards motion. It and the fifteen hybrids were now redirected by momentum imparted from the now tight cable and sent on a new vector aimed at the enemy’s main processor housing and escape launcher system. Now, on the proper course, the momentum transfer cable was severed and controller 01 waited for contact with the station near the launching cylinder. This would occur in less than a second and controller 01 used the time to do one last wakeup check on its fifteen units.
Middle Earth equatorial orbit:
Hybrid unit 13.01
(Space-fish attack unit – 13th unit of Controller 01’s group)
Hybrid unit 13.01 slowly became aware. It did not know that, of its fellow kin it was the fastest to awaken. Its thoughts were very confused, and it was unable to understand just what was happening to it. It was unable to speak but still, it heard what sounded like voices in the background. It felt numb, with little physical sensation. Had it been in an accident or something?
There was one voice louder than the rest and this voice was instructing it to wake up and prepare. Unit 13.01, in addition to being confused, was now a bit scared. It suddenly realized that it could not see. It was blind! Unit 13.01 did not remember its name, but vague images flashed through its mind.
***
Nautilus
“The Phoenix module has just deployed. Also, the satellite data net has detected that three of our attacking missile warheads survived and have just detonated. Their directed tungsten plasma energy will impact the space station in three seconds.” Naomi said.
Our missiles had not been created to directly hit the enemy space station before detonating. Instead, their fusion warheads had been designed as a large, shaped charge. The spreading fusion shockwave was directed and focused much as a chemical shaped charge explosion was. The target of these concentrated forces was a focusing cavity filled with beryllium oxide. The final target was a large slug of tungsten on the nose of the warhead.
The now concentrated and directed shockwave vaporized a final mass of tungsten into a superheated plasma jet. This jet is sent towards its target at an incredible rate of nearly one hundred and eight kilometers per second. This was too fast for the enemy point defenses and they would have little chance to stop even if it could detect them quickly enough.
When Naomi had described the standoff attack version of the warhead, I had been surprised to learn that humans had worked on such technology back in my time. It had been studied under a project named Casaba-Howitzer with many of its details still remaining classified even up until the time of the Earth’s destruction.
“Diversionary missile launched from Kings Bay has reached its deployment area and is now generating false signals. “ Naomi added.
Middle Earth equatorial orbit:
Master artificial intelligence presence
As its scanners began to focus on the exploding cargo model it quickly realized that this was not a random explosion. Instead, the module had burst apart in a controlled and intelligent manner. Major segments of it had been hurled in different directions clearly under some intelligent control. Other parts had released weapons which had been targeted on the station’s sensors, antennas, and defensive weaponry. The module’s actions were clearly coordinated with the attacking missiles!
The master A.I. now realized that the ongoing attack was much larger in scale than it had first thought. At least one of its own orbital launch facilities had been compromised and subverted. Another of its sub-presences reported that the three approaching objects which had been missed by its long-range interceptors had just detonated many hundreds of kilometers away from the station.
Had their guidance and targeting systems been damaged? It considered ordering its point defensive weaponry back on standby while it investigated further. Suddenly, from the area of the new detonations, it detected three extremely high-velocity jets of directed energy or plasma heading directly towards the station.
There was no time to react. Two of the jets struck outer station modules penetrating deeply and causing large explosions. The third missed by just meters. Damage control sub-presences were quickly activated and set to the task of assessing damage and calculating repair options.
A third sub-presence reported that a new series of launches were being detected around the eastern shores of the former United States. They had originated at an old remediation site near the Florida-Georgia border but had now spread off the coast to the east and south. First indications were that there was a huge number of new submersible launches. Possibly hundreds. Threat levels were elevated even higher.
These new launches combined with the expanded threat posed by the stand-off directed energy warheads triggered emergency escape protocols. The first step of these protocols was readying the linear accelerator launching system which would send its main processor and critical memory core off to safety towards the currently visible L5 Lagrange point. Instructions were sent and the large, armored cover of the launch cylinder was explosively ejected to the side of the launcher portal.
The master intelligence also ordered its counterbattery sub-presence to target and destroy the two newly discovered enemy launching points. Within seconds, orbit-to-surface missiles were launched. Their destinations were its own compromised launch facility in the Galapagos Islands and the former remediation base at Kings Bay, Georgia.
Middle Earth equatorial orbit:
Mobile attack unit controller 01
Controller 01 currently sat perched on the side of a station bracing segment eight meters from the discharge end of the enemy’s escape launcher. It and its fifteen space-fish units had landed here just seconds before. Each fish pod had burst open as they were flung here and now they had their full five-armed jet-black starfish appearance.
They were also clinging to various portions of the bracing segment arm in a rough grouping. Controller 01 maintained contact with thirteen of the hybrid units via optical cabling with only two having been severed during the final approach. Those two space-fish still had minimal implanted directives but would likely be lost soon after the assault of the escape shaft was begun.
It spotted Controller 03 waiting nearby with its own group of hybrid attackers. Further scanning did not find Controller 02 anywhere in the area. It and its group of hybrids must have been destroyed before they reached the area. Or the deployment tether system had failed, and they were now tumbling through space.
Controller 01 was also simultaneously monitoring both the nearby armored cover of the enemy’s escape launching shaft and the nearby penetrator launcher device the Phoenix module had also sent to this vicinity. The penetrator launcher was floating in space forty meters away and from the occasional quick pulses of its thrusters, was keeping a target lock on the enemy’s escape shaft.
Controller 01 felt the vibrations of a silent explosion pass through the bracing strut it was anchored to, and milliseconds later, the armored cover was fully withdrawn from the end of the launcher. The enemy A.I. had begun to prepare its escape route for use.
A second inner cover was now revealed. Controller 01 detected the backscatter of a scanning spectral laser as the penetrator launcher investigated the construction of the now-exposed underlying cover. It must have gotten good results as suddenly, there was a flash and the penetrator launcher exploded.
Controller 01’s sensors barely detected the streaks as the long tungsten penetrators were shot out by the quickly departing launcher. It was easily able to detect the new holes the penetrators had torn in the secondary cover.
Now that the enemy processor’s escape route was blocked, it ordered its’ hybrid fish units to full awareness and sent them off to attack and secure the master A.I. processor. The thirteen fish still directly connected via the optical link responded immediately, flinging themselves towards the wrecked covering. The two with which it had lost contact took a moment longer before they also followed after.
As Controller 01 monitored the quick and steady overlapping progress of its space-fish units, it saw that Controller 03’s hybrid units would arrive first. With Controller 02’s forces destroyed; it was now down to these thirty remaining hybrid units. This was a critical juncture and Controller 01 diverted enough processor power to send a quick action report to all nearby units remaining in operation. Hopefully, the report would be repeated and make its way to the secure satellite network and be relayed down to Nautilus.
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